Terrorist, child murderer and rapists among 30 jailed in May (2024)

Terrorists, child murderers and rapists were among 30 criminals jailed on Teesside in May.

One of the notable cases saw terrorist, Ahmed Alid, handed a life sentence for the murder of a much-loved pensioner in Hartlepool. He was arrested minutes after he had stabbed seventy-year-old Terrence Carney to death; after he thought he had killed his Christian housemate Javed Nouri.

Mr Nouri, 31, survived his injuries - but Alid, 45, thought he had killed two people as he was taken into custody at Middlesbrough police station. The Moroccan asylum seeker was jailed for life with a minimum term of 45 years in May following a trial.

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Read the shocking case below:

Ahmed Alid

A Moroccan asylum seeker who murdered a pensioner in the street in "revenge" for the Israel-Hamas conflict has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 45 years.

Ahmed Alid, 45, stabbed Terence Carney, 70, six times in Hartlepool town centre early on October 15 - eight days after Hamas attacked Israel. Minutes earlier he attempted to murder his housemate, Christian convert and former bodybuilder Javed Nouri, by breaking into his bedroom and hacking at him while he slept.

Alid shouted "Allahu Akbar" - "God is great" - during the attack at the Home Office-approved asylum seekers' accommodation before fleeing into the street, still armed with a knife. Doorbell camera footage showed Mr Carney, who was out walking in the town centre, cry out "No, no" as he was stabbed by the stranger.

Prosecutors at Teesside Crown Court said it was not a frenzied attack but a deliberate attempt to target Mr Carney's body repeatedly before he walked off, leaving his victim for dead. In a holding cell at Middlesbrough police station after his arrest, Alid launched into a speech in Arabic saying that "Allah willing, Gaza would return to be an Arab country" and how he would have continued his "raid" if his hands had not been injured.

Alid, who strongly disapproved of Mr Nouri's conversion to Christianity, said God was "displeased" with those who went astray. Mr Carney's wife Patricia Carney said her husband went out walking early every morning because he enjoyed the peace and quiet on the streets.

Alid denied murder, attempted murder and assaulting the two officers, claiming he did carry out the stabbings but without intention to kill or cause serious harm. He was found guilty of all four charges last month.

Richard Kelly

A drunken armed forces veteran ploughed his car into a theatre.

Richard Kelly got behind the wheel of his Ford Puma on Thursday, March 7 and was seen speeding through Darlington town centre, Teesside Crown Court heard. The 47-year-old was captured on CCTV appearing from Park Place and ramming into pedestrian railings and Darlington Hippodrome.

The footage shows the car speeding from a junction despite oncoming traffic before a railing is flung into the air and the car collides with a wall.

During a sentencing hearing, the court heard the incident happened shortly after 3.30pm when at a junction of traffic he collided "head on" with a pedestrian barrier. Summarising the case, Judge Richard Bennet said: "You went through that barrier and straight into the wall of the Hippodrome on Yarm Road. Had anyone been in your path I have no doubt at all they would have been killed.

"When the police arrived you were found in the car surrounded by a number of empty cans of lager, you were intoxicated and told officers you had had a drink."

The court heard the defendant was taken to hospital and he told officers he had intentionally driven into the wall and accepted his driving had endangered others. Mitigating on his behalf, Nigel Soppitt said the driver had tried to take his life and stressed he has mental health issues. He said the defendant doesn't leave his Durham Prison cell and feels he has a "bleak future".

The court heard the incident was committed just two days after Kelly, from Bourne Court, Darlington, was handed a three-month suspended prison sentence for another offence. He admitted the dangerous driving and was jailed for 12 months. He was also banned from driving for 16 months.

Anthony Scott

Paedophile pensioner Anthony Scott was jailed in May for sexually abusing a child decades ago.

The 77-year-old denied the abuse, but was found guilty of indecency with a child and two counts of indecently assaulting a child, by a jury, after a trial at Teesside Crown Court. In May, Scott appeared back in court for sentencing.

The pensioner didn't show any emotion as the details of the horrific abuse were read out by prosecuting barrister Paul Newcombe. Scott warned the victim that "no one would believe" them if they told anyone what had happened and that "people wouldn't like" them.

In a statement read out in court, the abuse survivor said they came across a photo of Scott and a child posted on Facebook, and became concerned. In September 2021, they reported Scott to the police, and said: "In facing my fears, I feel a weight lifting from me."

In mitigation, Harry Crowson told the court that Scott has never been in trouble with the law previously, and that he is "being sentenced decades later, and is now a vulnerable and elderly man - yes, who did terrible things."

Scott, of Silverwood Court in Thornaby, was jailed for five-years. He will sign the Sex Offenders' Register for the rest of his life.

Daryl Greener

Two teenage thugs launched a vicious attack on an innocent boy as he was going to the shops, leaving him with a fractured skull.

Daryl Greener, 19, and another teenager, who can't be named for legal reasons, accosted the boy with a flick knife and a hammer, at Ragworth shops in Stockton. Teesside Crown Court heard that Greener and his pal were both "agitated" as they approached the boy and another male.

Greener said he was "going to kill" the victim and his pal told the younger male that the victim was "going to get chopped up".

The teenagers had been standing in a group outside the pizza shop, when they saw the two males walking nearby. They accused the boys of "looking at them" and at their bikes, before they launched the frenzied attack on the street.

Phillip Morley prosecuting, told the Middlesbrough court that Greener "produced a flick knife and slashed the boy's eye and neck". His accomplice then struck the boy's head with a hammer.

As the victim lay in the street unconscious, the younger teen then hit him four or five times to the head with his hammer. Both teenagers fled and the victim was taken to the James Cook University Hospital.

Both teenagers were arrested, but refused to answer police questions. Greener was already under investigation in September 2023 by the police, after he attacked his own grandmother, four months earlier.

The younger teenager pleaded guilty to two counts of causing grievous bodily harm and to the possession of an offensive weapon. Greener, of no fixed abode, admitted wounding with intent, the possession of a bladed article in a public place; grievous bodily harm and criminal damage.

In mitigation, Jonathan Walker said that his client, who has been held on remand in Durham prison, is "extremely contrite and ashamed." Tabitha Buck, mitigating for the younger teenager, told the court that he grew up "with no food in the house; with neglect and violence."

Greener was jailed for four years and six months. His younger accomplice was handed a two-year youth rehabilitation order, where he must attend 91-rehabilition days with the probation service.

Jonathan Green

Jonathan Green burgled a man living in sheltered accommodation, leaving him too scared to stay in his own home.

Jonathan Green stole an Xbox, PlayStation and a TV from a flat on Redcar High Street on March 29 - leaving the vulnerable resident devastated. The 42-year-old walked into the communal entrance and was caught on CCTV trying doors to neighbouring flats, before he was able to get into the supported accommodation and take the property, valued at £350.

When the resident came home from work on Good Friday, he said he "could not stop shaking". Green had been stealing bottles of alcohol from Morrisons, on Lord Street in Redcar, weeks earlier.

On March 2, he left the shop with three bottles of Smirnoff Vodka in his rucksack. On March 4, he ran out with a bottle of Bacardi and on March 6, he left the shop before paying for a £60 crate of wine.

By March 10, targeted The Regent Cinema. The general manager confronted him after he saw Green putting sweets in his pockets. Green threw some chocolates at the manager, before running out with packets of jelly sweets, Teesside Crown Court heard.

On March 16, he broke into TunedIn - a youth centre on Majuba Road. Green threw a rock through the windows, but left after failing to get into a safe.

In a statement read out to the court, the man who lived in the flat on the High Street, said: " I have a learning disability. This is how I came to live there - it is supported accommodation. I cannot return home now due to my anxiety. I have to stay with my mum."

Green, of Newcommen Terrace in Redcar, pleaded guilty to burglary with intent, burglary and to four counts of theft. He has 39 previous convictions for 92 offences, which include a burglary in 2018, where he locked an old lady in a room and demanded cash.

Andrew Turton, mitigating, said that Green is, "well-thought of in the building industry" where he used to work. "He's fallen from grace after leaving a drug treatment course half-way through," Mr Turton said, "he has an horrendous drug history. But he's now clear of drugs."

Green was jailed for 30 months. He will serve half, before he is released on licence. He was ordered to pay the resident of the flat on the High Street £228 in compensation, at a rate of £5 per week.

Danny Oxley

Boyfriend Danny Oxley screwed a front door shut before attacking his girlfriend leaving her needing a cut to her eyebrow glued.

The defendant had been out drinking in co*ckerton with his partner and when the couple got back to his girlfriend's home, he "screwed the front door to the door frame." An argument broke out, and Oxley agreed to take the screws out so his partner could leave.

But when she ran outside, he chased her, put his hand around her neck, pushed her hard, and she fell, hitting her head against a wall. The victim had a cut to her eyebrow glued in hospital.

Oxley pleaded guilty to:

• assault occasioning actual bodily harm;
• possession of a knife in a public place;
• threatening behaviour;
• assaulting an emergency worker.

He has previous convictions for multiple robberies, a wounding offence and for carrying a knife in public.

Kelleigh Lodge, mitigating, told the court that Oxley has "significant mental health issues" and has been the victim of crime himself. "He was the victim of an assault" Ms Lodge said, "it affected his mental health - threats were made against him and the police assisted him in moving out of the area."

Oxley was jailed for 34-months, and will be released on licence, after serving half of his sentence in custody. Oxley was made the subject of a restraining order, prohibiting him from contacting the woman for 10 years.

Lewis Heighton and Paul Jefferson

This pair of prolific criminals hid sat navs behind a dust bin and bank cards in a drain after committing fraud.

Lewis Heighton and Paul Jefferson appeared at Teesside Crown Court to be sentenced in May after a home on Morland Fell, in Redcar, was burgled. The court heard on November 4, 2022, the pair defrauded the homeowner out of money by using her bank card at the Esso fuel station, on Trunk Road.

Prosecutor Neil Jones said the pair spent £45.43 and were captured making the transaction on CCTV. Mr Jones said entry was gained to the home through an unlocked door and several items including a bank card and ID were taken.

He said: "At about 4am the homeowner discovered a number of items missing from the property. She contacted her bank and found a transaction had taken place using her bank card at the service station on Trunk Road. A community support officer had recently had dealings with both defendants and viewed the footage from a petrol station. She saw that the persons depicted were Heighton and Jefferson."

Mr Jones said two days later a resident attended a Teesside police station and said property had been discarded in his garden. The court heard he found sat navs and dashcams in a bag behind a dustbin and also found bank cards in his drain, together with a driving licence belonging to the burglary victim.

The court heard Heighton, of Saltersgill Avenue, Middlesbrough, was interviewed under caution on November 5 and answered no comment to all questions. Just over a week later Jefferson of Harwal Road, Redcar, was interviewed and denied all allegations.

The pair did, however, both pleaded guilty to handling stolen goods, fraud and two counts of theft. The pair were previously charged with burglary but the charge was dropped.

In mitigation, Andrew Turton said drugs were Jefferson's motivation, he said: "He has had a long and entrenched drug habit which he simply hasn't been able to rid himself of. He indicated to me that he is remorseful for his actions and the motivation behind the offences was prescription medication and crack cocaine."

His co-defendant Heighton, addressed the judge saying he was remorseful. He said: "I've done a lot of drug work in prison. That's not me as a person that's the drugs and I don't like that person. I've been brought up better than that. I need to be worked with as I'm just going through the same cycle. I'd like to apologise."

Heighton, 35 - has 44 convictions for 103 offences - and was handed an 18-month prison sentence and his co-defendant Jefferson, 49 - has 75 convictions for 190 offences - and was sentenced to 17-months in prison.

James Mitchell

James Mitchell was riding an off-road dirt bike which had no number plate, no mirrors and no indicators when he killed a pedestrian.

The 29-year-old was doing wheelies, overtaking and "absolutely flying' down Haughton Road, Darlington, in the seconds before he hit Steven Roberts. Mr Roberts was wheeling his pedal bike across the B6279 Haughton Road, on the evening of Saturday February 11 last year.

He was declared dead at the scene. Mitchell had no insurance and has multiple previous convictions for driving offences. The dad-of-three had posted on social media about his new bike, just three hours before the crash at 7.10pm. The orange and black KTM 350cc motorcycle was described as an "off-road bike," which had had it's back wheel over-inflated.

Mr Roberts was waiting to cross the road, where Russell Street joins Freeman's Place. The court heard that the junction on Russell Street "is not simple" with hatched lines in the middle of the road. There is a pedestrian crossing 50 metres away and the road surface was wet.

Jolyon Perks, prosecuting, said that CCTV footage had been used to determine Mitchell's speed. He was driving at 66mph in the seconds before the collision.

One witness, who was travelling in his mother's car on Haughton Road saw Mitchell overtaking the car in front of him- and accelerating towards the railway bridge at an estimated 60mph. The road is a 30-zone.

The man said that he saw Mitchell's "motorbike wheel come off the road twice." The wheelies were also caught on CCTV. A pedestrian who was walking towards Mitchell, by Bannatyne's gym, told police that "the dirt bike was absolutely flying." The man and his companion heard a screech and saw that "the bike's rear wheel had locked up, as Mitchell had slammed on his brakes." The witness said that Mitchell was "out of control."

The witness also saw the collision and rushed over to give Mr Roberts CPR.

The defendant was arrested on February 16, after he was released. In a pre-prepared statement, he said he "accepted responsibility" for the crash, but that "he thought he was insured under his fleet policy."

In mitigation, John Griffiths said that his client has "no recollection of what happened" but that he is "remorseful and has a high level of anxiety.

"He is devastated that his actions have led to the death of another individual" Mr Griffiths said, "he will have to live with this for the rest of his life - knowing his actions have killed someone. He did try to stop, there is evidence that his brake lights were illuminated."

Mitchell, of Killinghall Street in Darlington, was jailed for 10-years-and-six-months. He will serve two-thirds of his sentence, before being released on licence.

Simon Nash

A man who raped a woman as she slept was convicted after she secretly recorded him apologising in a conversation afterwards.

The woman woke to find Simon Nash, 31, having sex with her. The woman later told police that she "went into shock" and pretended to be asleep throughout the ordeal, which happened a number of years ago.

She pretended to wake up and then told him that she had actually been awake while he raped her. Teesside Crown Court heard that Nash then "tried to persuade the woman that the whole sexual encounter had been in her head."

Shaun Dodds, prosecuting, told the court that Nash was "gaslighting" his victim when she asked why her clothing had been taken off her. Mr Dodds said: "He told her that she had asked him to take the pyjama bottoms off her. 'Remember, remember' he said."

As the woman confronted Nash, she recorded what he said on her mobile phone, asking him: "Why would you do such a thing?" Nash repeatedly said he was sorry and the woman took her recording to the police and he was arrested.

Nash was convicted of rape by a jury after standing trial in March. He has previous convictions for assault occasioning actual bodily harm and affray - where he left a family fearing for their lives.

In mitigation, Paul Abrahams said Nash has "suffered in prison, he is distressed and has made an attempt on his own life. It's scant mitigation though, as it's all his own doing."

Nash appeared on video link from Durham prison with his neck bandaged and wept throughout the sentencing. Nash, of Borrowby Court in Guisborough, was jailed for eight-years - he will serve two-thirds of the sentence before he is eligible for release on licence. He was made the subject of a restraining order, prohibiting him from contacting the victim ever again. He was ordered to sign the Sex Offenders' Register for life.

Steven Kennedy

This boyfriend stabbed his partner, leaving her to pull the broken knife out of her own leg. Steven Kennedy, 40, followed his then girlfriend into her bedroom on October 5 last year, after the couple had an argument in the kitchen. He repeatedly punched her in the head, and continued attacking her as she lay on the floor.

It wasn't until the woman managed to get out of the room and run downstairs to leave her home, that she realised a broken knife was sticking out of her leg. She pulled the knife out and ran to a neighbour's for help.

Teesside Crown Court heard that the woman hadn't realised that Kennedy had stabbed her until she got downstairs. Timothy Jacobs, prosecuting, said that Ring doorbell footage showed her turning up at her neighbour's front door, "distressed and quietly asking for help."

The court heard that the couple had got together shortly before Kennedy was recalled to prison in 2022. The relationship continued when he was released, but Mr Jacobs said that he frequently accused her of having affairs and even made her take lie detector tests.

"He demanded to see her social media to the extent that she stopped using it. It wasn't worth the bother. If she wanted to contact someone, she had to use his phone.

"She could only use her mobile to check her emails," Mr Jacobs told the court. In a statement, the survivor said that she "will never be able to wear a dress again" as her leg has been left "in a mess." She suffers from ongoing spasms in her leg, from suspected nerve damage.

Kennedy, of Brackenfield Road in Durham, pleaded guilty to wounding and assault. He has two previous convictions for domestic violence.

In mitigation, Rob Mochrie said that Kennedy "witnessed this type of behaviour as a child growing up. It's no excuse, of course, but perhaps those experiences laid the foundations for his later life. He says he is sorry, for what he has done."

Kennedy listened via video link from Durham prison as Judge Howard Crowson told him: "You've been irrationally jealous and believed, without foundation, that she was unfaithful. You now admit that during the relationship, you controlled her." Kennedy was jailed for five years. He was made the subject of a ten-year restraining order, prohibiting him from contacting his victim.

David Hey

Drug-addicted boyfriend David Hey became violent and took his girlfriend's car, being going on the run.

Teesside Crown Court heard Hey was struggling with his mental health over Christmas last year when he relapsed into taking drugs, punched his partner and drove her car straight into her garden wall. The Ford Kuga went straight through the brick wall at an address in Hartlepool, destroying kids' bikes and scooters.

The 38-year-old drove away shouting, "are you happy now?" before "going to ground" as police searched for him. Teesside Crown Court heard that Hey became "snappy and argumentative" with his partner as he worried about money, before he asked to borrow her silver Ford Kuga on January 11. His partner called him early the next morning to ask for her car back, as Hey, who had no insurance or licence, hadn't returned and she needed to take her children to school.

Jenny Haigh, prosecuting, stated that Hey's partner said that "he sounded out of his head on drugs" and she told him not to come near her home. A while later, Hey pulled up in his partner's car, and ignored her requests for him not to come into the house.

"He punched her twice, called her a 'grassing c***' and left, shouting, 'I'll kill you!' " Ms Haigh said. The woman's young child had been in the room when she was punched. CCTV then captured Hey accelerating into the garden wall.

Hey fled as police looked for him. Twelve days later, on January 24, they went to arrest him at a different address at 5.30am. The police reported that Hey, who was in his underwear, jumped up on top of his bed and took up a "fighting stance."

He was tasered, but later when officers allowed him to get dressed and take his medication, Hey swallowed several tablets from a packet and "began snarling, making threats and calling the officers 'd********," Ms Haigh said.

Hey, of Millbank Terrace in Wingate, Durham, pleaded guilty to assault, dangerous driving, criminal damage and to four counts of assaulting an emergency worker. He has 41 previous convictions for 98 offences, including a serious assault and the possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear.

Kelly Clark, mitigating, said that Hey had been struggling with his mental health and until he had started attending "Andy's Man Club" he hadn't spoken to anyone about how he had been feeling. "He wants to get back to a normal life and to work," Ms Clark said, "he has contact with his children from other relationships."

Hey was jailed for 22-months. After his time on remand is subtracted from that sentence, he has seven-months-and-eight-days left to serve. The judge banned him from driving for three years, from the day he is released.

Shane Jewson

A controlling bully terrorised his then girlfriend with a homemade mace and threatened to kill her cats.

Shane Jewson, 24, subjected his partner to a shocking campaign of abuse from April to September last year. According to the charge, Jewson threatened to kill the woman's cats, slapped her across the face and terrorised her with a medieval weapon.

Teesside Crown Court heard during one incident the woman was forced to hide from the defendant in a bathroom where she was able to contact police.

The charge states: "Between 1 April 2023 to 4 September 2023 repeatedly or continuously engaged in behaviour which was controlling or coercive, namely

• Punched holes in walls and threw furniture at walls to intimidate her
• Took her phone from her when she told him she wanted to leave him
• Held her in a bear hug and squeezed her, to prevent her from leaving him
• Threatened to kill himself if she left him
• In June 2023 threatened to kill her cats
• Threatened to kill himself if she refused to have sex with him
• On 31st August 2023 slapped her across the face
• On 31st August 2023 swung a homemade flail around his head, damaging a cupboard shouting threats, which caused her to hide in the bathroom in fear and contact the police
• Made numerous unwanted calls and texts to her

The Hartlepool defendant pleaded guilty to the charge and was given credit for his plea. In mitigation, the court heard Jewson had a "difficult start in life" and was in care until 21.

His barrister, Stephen Constantine said: "He would say he needs and wants help. The care system he would tell you can be very harsh and very cruel. He is in a position now where he has settled accommodation and people who are willing to help him. He is someone who is willing to try and better himself."

The Otterpool Close resident was handed a two-year prison sentence.

Lennox French

This knife-wielding robber told a Good Samaritan "get out of the car or I'll stab you" after he pulled over to help the defendant.

Lennox French and his two accomplices - who cannot be named for legal reasons - preyed of the Ford driver as he travelled along Ormesby High Street. Teesside Crown Court heard it was around 1.25am on February 18 when the victim spotted the three males pointing and waving at him.

Concerned, the man pulled over as thought the trio may be in trouble. Prosecutor Rachel Masters told the court the males had their hoods up and faces covered and got into his vehicle.

She said: "One of the males [the defendant] immediately got in the front passenger door the other two got in the rear of the vehicle. The defendant pulled out a knife and shouted 'get out of the car or I'll stab you'. The man described fearing for his life."

Ms Masters said the man drove onto Ormesby petrol station forecourt and got out of his car and shouted at a member of staff to help him. However, as he did he was apprehended by one of the males.

She said: "One of them tackled him to the floor while the other attempted to take his car keys off him. They were eventually able to get his keys and the three of them drove off heading towards Cargo Fleet."

The Middlesbrough court heard officers spotted the Ford being driving on the A174 where they were able to catch up with them. However, the car continued travelling in the direction Guisborough.

Ms Masters said: "Officers from North Yorkshire Police were able to deploy a stinger device which was successful however, the defendant continued to drive the vehicle until the tyres deflated. The vehicle finally stopped and the three decamped the vehicle. There was a short foot chase."

The court heard the South Bank defendant was apprehended trying to climb over a fence. He later pleaded guilty to the following:

• Robbery

• Possession of an offensive weapon

• Dangerous driving

• Driving while disqualified

• Failing to stop

• Being in charge of a vehicle while over the alcohol limit

• Driving without insurance

• Failing to provide specimen

French, 23, also appeared to be sentenced for a separate offence of dangerous driving which he committed on April 13. The court heard he was being chased by police and only stopped when a stinger was deployed. The defendant admitted the offence.

In mitigation, the court heard the defendant experienced a difficult childhood and is using his time on remand at Durham Prison to gain qualifications in English and maths. French said he was remorseful and was handed a five-year prison sentence.

Kevin Stevenson and James Joyce

A pair of dealers involved in a complex drug conspiracy flooded Teesside with heroin, cocaine and cannabis.

Kevin Stevenson and James Joyce are now facing the consequences of their criminal actions after a complex operation led by the North East Regional Organised Crime Unit (NEROCU). As part of a wider investigation, supported by Cleveland Police, officers gathered intelligence which suggested the duo were involved in an illicit drug operation involving Class A and B drugs.

In April 2019, police arrested Stevenson, 44, at an address in Hemlington after being found in possession of cocaine. A search of the address recovered further amounts of cocaine and also recovered three kilos of cannabis bush. A further kilo of cannabis bush was also found at another address in Middlesbrough that was also linked to Stevenson.

Joyce, 46, was arrested in November 2020 after telephone analysis showed he was also linked to the complex drugs conspiracy. The pair were subsequently charged with conspiracy to supply heroin, cocaine and cannabis.

A trial was set at Teesside Crown Court on May 9, with Joyce pleading not guilty to all charges and Stevenson pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine and cannabis but not guilty to the heroin charge. On Tuesday, they appeared at the same court and were found guilty of all charges and received their sentence.

Stevenson, of Grange Farm, Coulby Newham, was sentenced to ten years and seven months behind bars while his criminal associate Joyce, of Jocelyn Way, Middlesbrough, was handed thirteen years and six months imprisonment. Two further men, 25 and 50, were charged alongside the duo but were found not guilty on all three charges.

Janine McLoughlin

This drug addict punched one shop worker in the face before soaking another in Red Bull in store raids.

Janine McLoughlin targeted two stores in Middlesbrough on April 13, despite being subject to a suspended sentence order. McLoughlin stole laundry products, to the value of £44.85, from Heron Foods, before targeting One Stop Shop minutes later stealing items to an unknown value.

Prosecuting the case, Nigel Soppitt said the 38-year-old attacked workers at both stores punching one in the face before pouring a drink over his head. She later sprayed another with a can of Red Bull.

Mr Soppitt said: "She walked into the shop about 3pm and started helping herself to laundry products. She was challenged at the till as she went to leave. The duty manager tried to recover the bag from her and for his efforts he was pushed and punched in the face twice.

"The bag broke but she still tried to recover some of the stolen items. She then threw a drink bottle over him causing him to lose sight temporally and then hit him once again."

Teesside Crown Court heard minutes later she attended One Stop Shop and helped herself to wine before she was challenged by a male worker who took three bottles from her. Mr Soppitt said she threatened him saying she would hit him with a bottle unless he gave them back before she soaked him with an energy drink.

He said: "She took a can of Red Bull and started drinking it before spraying it all over him. He was soaked and said he felt vulnerable."

The former Bridge Street West, Middlesbrough resident, pleaded guilty to two counts of theft, two counts of common assault and breach of a suspended sentence order. The court heard on March 18, McLoughlin was handed a 12-month prison sentence suspended for two years. She failed to comply with requirements put in place to help with her addiction and offending.

The court heard McLoughlin has a poor record all linked to her addiction with 43 convictions for 91 offences. In mitigation, McLoughlin's barrister John Nixon, said the defendant accepts she's in breach of her suspended sentence order.

He said: "She hopes the period in custody will be a benefit to her and give her opportunity to abstain inside."

McLoughlin's suspended sentence order was activated and she was handed a four-week consecutive sentence for the new offences. In total, she was handed a 13-month prison sentence.

Adam Greener

An ex-boyfriend threatened a woman saying "drop the charges or I'll slash you up" before telling police he was going to burn her house down.

Adam Greener - who previously briefly dated the woman - made threats, called her numerous times, turned up to her home and even demanded she move out of Stockton. Teesside Crown Court heard his campaign of harassment took place after she made a report to Cleveland Police following an incident outside her home.

Outlining the case, prosecutor Tabitha Buck said on November 22 damage was caused to her friend's vehicle and her living room window. Ms Buck said at about 7.15am she was woken by the car alarm going off and heard lots of banging. She claimed she saw two males damaging her friend's white SEAT Ateca.

The Middlesbrough court heard after she made the report the 36-year-old defendant repeatedly contacted her. Ms Buck said: "She started to receive calls from a number she knew to be the defendant's from when they briefly dated. The first call came in at 2pm on the 26th of November and the last call near midnight that same day.

"She answered a few of those calls and the first time she heard him say 'drop the charges or I'll slash you up'. He then told her that she had to move out of Stockton. The second time he spoke to her he mentioned that another individual had arranged an altercation."

The court heard she reported the calls to Cleveland Police and the defendant was told not to contact her. However, on the week of December 4 he attended her home with another male and apologised. He indicated he would sort the broken windows out and the woman thought it was the last she would hear from him.

Ms Buck said two weeks later on December 20, the woman received a visit from police asking if the defendant had been to her house that day. She said he hadn't and she had been home most of the day.

The court heard police told her they'd received a call from the defendant saying he was going to "burn her house down". Mr Buck said officers searched the home then left.

The Rosthwaite Avenue, Stockton defendant, was interviewed on December 21 and accepted responsibility for the witness intimidation. He accepted he'd been to her home address and said he would have torched her house if the police did not find her. He said he made the comment so he'd be arrested and off the streets for Christmas.

The court heard the defendant pleaded guilty to witness intimidation and harassment on December 22, last year and was remanded in custody at Hull Prison. The court heard while in prison he has been working with the drug and alcohol team, is on a methadone programme and has a job on the wellbeing team.

It was also stressed there was no suggestion the defendant was among the males who damaged the vehicle. The defendant has 25 convictions for 54 offences and was handed a 15-month prison sentence suspended for two years. He must complete 30-days rehabilitation and a nine-month drug rehabilitation requirement.

Stephen Nolan

This pervert sexually touched two young girls on separate occasions.

Stephen Nolan, 41, sexually assaulted the schoolgirls and immediately walked away afterwards. One girl told her mum hours later and the police were called.

Nolan, of Brabourn Gardens in Hemlington, Middlesbrough, was convicted of two counts of sexual assault of a child by a jury after standing trial.

In mitigation, Christopher Baker told the court that "prison will be more difficult for him than for the average prisoner" due to Nolan's poor physical health and added: "His mental health issues would also be exacerbated by prison." Mr Baker said that his client "still denies" the offences.

Judge Stephen Ashurst told Nolan: "You've been convicted of two counts of sexual assault. You remain in complete denial. Both girls have suffered tremendously as a result of what you did. A custodial sentence is unavoidable. The impact of going to prison for the first time will be very considerable indeed."

"Both of the girls have felt guilt or shame" the judge added, "but they have no need to feel guilty."

Nolan was jailed for two years, made subject of a sexual harm prevention order banning him from having any unsupervised contact with children under 16, and will also sign the Sex Offenders' Register for the next 10 years.

Thomas Patton

This bully boyfriend superglued his girlfriend's eye closed when she was asleep.

Thomas Patton, 29, hit and threatened his partner during their relationship which she was too scared to end. His victim, said she was scared that Patton would kill her - he told her he "would rather see her dead than with someone else."

Teesside Crown Court heard that Patton was repeatedly violent towards his girlfriend, and when she reported him to the police, after seeking hospital treatment for her eye, he tried to intimidate her into withdrawing her statement. Patton, of Cotswold Avenue, in Pallister Park, Middlesbrough, pleaded guilty to:

• intimidating a witness,
• assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

He was convicted by a jury, after a trial, of:

• engaging in coercive behaviour,
• two counts of assault,
• two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm - which took place between July and October 2023.

Eleanor Durdy, mitigating, said Patton, who admitted using class A and B drugs, claimed he didn't mean to squirt the superglue into his girlfriend's eye, maintaining it was "an accident" - a claim the judge rejected.

Patton shook his head as he was jailed for three-years-and-six-months. He was made the subject of a restraining order prohibiting him from contacting his victim and her mother for five years.

Roy Foster

A sexual predator who abused vulnerable females was jailed for 29 years in May after being categorised as a "dangerous offender."

Roy Foster, 63, raped two young girls and tried to rape another. He abducted his fourth victim by tempting her away with the offer of choosing a toy.

Teesside Crown Court heard that Foster abducted the girl with the intention of committing a sexual offence. On Monday, Foster appeared in court, via video link from Durham prison, wearing a white shirt and a grey pullover.

Ian West, prosecuting, told the court that Foster had four victims - and each girl was vulnerable. He indecently assaulted his first victim and later raped her.

The court heard that years later, Foster tried to rape his second young victim, after "plying her with alcohol" when he was drunk himself. "It would seem she was specifically targeted," Mr West said, "because he could rely on her not to resist."

Foster raped his third victim twice. The Middlesbrough court heard that Foster supplied her with drink and drugs. In court, she stood up to speak of her "anger, frustration and sadness" over what Foster did to her.

He targeted his fourth victim by offering her the chance of choosing a toy, if she came with him. The child went with Foster but a member of the public intervened.

Mr West said that when police searched Foster's home, they found children's' toys in one of the bedrooms. "He had no children or grandchildren of that age," Mr West said. Foster, of Low Grange Avenue in Billingham, was convicted of all eight offences by a jury, after a trial in January.

He was found guilty of sexual activity with a child; three counts of child rape; sexual assault; abducting a child with the intent to commit a sexual offence; and two counts of attempted rape.

In mitigation, Paul Cleasby said that "there was no evidence that one of Foster's victims was affected by the alcohol he gave her. Alcohol wasn't used to facilitate this offence - it can't be said to have diminished her capabilities. Nothing I say is intended to diminish the seriousness of the offences against her."

Foster was handed a 32-year sentence, made up of a 29-year prison term and a three-year period on extended licence, in the community. He will serve two-thirds of the 29-years before he is eligible for release. He must sign the sex offenders' register for the rest of his life.

Thomas Campbell

This prolific thief was branded a "nuisance" by a judge as he was sent down for a string of shop thefts.

Repeat offender Thomas Campbell appeared in the dock at Teesside Crown Court in May after pleading guilty to five counts of shop theft. The Hartlepool defendant was already subject of a 32-week suspended sentence, a separate 12-week suspended sentence and a two-year community order when he committed the crimes.

Outlining the case, prosecutor Elisha Marsay said he targeted Home Bargains, Next, New Look and Morrisons stealing clothing, air fresheners and chocolate worth £270. She said he targeted Home Bargains twice on January 8, stole from Next on January 24, raided New Look on February 16 and targeted Morrisons on March 4 to fund his drug addiction.

Ms Marsay said he was captured on CCTV and was interviewed by officers at Hartlepool Police Station on May 5 but provided no comment to all questions. He later admitted the thefts at Teesside Magistrates' Court.

In mitigation, Campbell's barrister Callum McNichols, claimed he was engaging with drug rehabilitation courses and prior to the offences was abstaining from drugs but relapsed following a family bereavement.

The Eton Street defendant has 34 convictions for 57 offences which include 22 thefts and two cases of fraud. Sentencing, Judge Jonathan Carroll described the defendant as a persistent thief who has repeatedly been given help.

He said: "You're not engaging to any meaningful extent. You are a public nuisance, whenever you are free you will steal that is the pattern of your adult life. There comes a point when absolutely everything that can be done by society to help you reform and change your behaviour has been done. You have not responded to it.

"There comes a point society just has to be protected from you when everything else has been done." The 41-year-old was handed a 54-week prison sentence.

Jonah Rochester

A man attacked two older and much smaller women on two separate occasions, leaving one with a broken hip and the other with a broken leg.

Jonah Rochester, 28, picked both of his victims up and slammed them down to the floor. He deliberately stamped on the second woman's leg, as she lay on the floor.

Teesside Crown Court heard that at over 6 foot tall, Rochester towered over both of his victims, who were described as "smaller and older" than him. Annelise Haugsted, prosecuting, told the court that Rochester was at his girlfriend's home, when her neighbours got together to enjoy the nice weather, on May 26 last year.

Children were playing as Rochester was overheard saying he was "going to get some MDMA." He was seen becoming angry during a phone call and when his girlfriend asked him to "calm down," he began shouting and swearing at her. The mother of the party host asked him to leave.

Rochester "grabbed the woman with both hands and slammed her into a table. He then slammed her to the floor shouting, 'I'm an animal. I'm going to kill you.' "

When the police arrived, Rochester put his fists up and shouted, "come on" at an officer. He threw a punch and missed, before telling the police how dangerous he was. PC Green described him as "Irate with spittle coming from his mouth. His eyes were glazed over."

The victim was left with a broken hip. Rochester was released on police bail, but weeks later he launched a second attack.

The court heard that his second victim was at home, having drinks with a friend as the friend's child slept in a spare bedroom, on July 15, 2023. Ms Haugsted said that Rochester burst into the woman's flat at 1.30am, asking where her son was.

When she said that he wasn't at home, Rochester replied: " I know he's not. I just brayed him."

The homeowner told Rochester to leave, but says she ended up outside on a grassed area. The woman said she could not recall how that happened, because she had been drinking. Rochester put both of his hands around her neck, as he picked her up and threw her to the ground.

He then stamped on her right leg. He fled as the friend called the police.

The victim was left with a broken leg. She said she crawled back inside in "excruciating pain" as she couldn't walk. In a statement, the woman said that she "has not been out since the attack" and that Rochester "is a danger to women."

Rochester, of Marshall Close in Hartlepool, denied causing grievous bodily harm; grievous bodily harm with intent; intentional strangulation and assaulting an emergency worker. He was convicted by a jury after standing trial.

In mitigation, Rebecca Brown said that there "is a reason" for Rochester's offending. Ms Brown told the court that Rochester suffers from depression and PTSD, after his premature daughter "died in his arms" in 2022. "The defendant carried her coffin at the funeral. He has since developed a problem with alcohol addiction."

He was jailed for nine years and three months. A restraining order was put in place, banning him from contacting his victims for the ten-years.

Chris Grundy

Chris Grundy who trawled a p*rnography website, looking for videos of young children being sexually abused, was jailed in May

The 52-year old's online profile was "boylover44" when he began to chat with another user, who expressed an interest in sexually abusing children. The undercover police officer agreed to move their conversation away to a private messaging platform called "Session" when Grundy sent him explicit messages about his sexual interest in children.

When Grundy was arrested in March, last year, police found that he had downloaded images and videos of children being sexually abused. The youngest child was just three. He had also stored a photo of a woman having sex with a dog on his phone.

Whilst under police investigation and on bail last year, he sexually assaulted a teenager. Teesside Crown Court has heard that Grundy, who lives with his mother, gave the child alcohol.

When he was arrested for a second time, Grundy's new mobile phone was seized. Police investigators uncovered 14 images of children being sexually abused - eight of which were in the most serious category. Grundy had also watched a video of the abuse.

The illegal pictures were found in his encrypted email service. An examination of his first mobile phone uncovered more deleted photos of children being sexually abused. He had been asking for the photos on Snapchat in March and April of last year.

Grundy, of Haughton Road in Darlington, was found guilty of three counts of sexual assault, by a jury, after standing trial in April. He pleaded guilty to six counts of making indecent images of children and making an extreme p*rnographic image. He was previously convicted of sexually assaulting a child in 1999, the Middlesbrough court heard.

Dr Chris Wood, mitigating, told the court that Grundy continued to deny that he was searching for child abuse images online. "He says someone he knows was sexually abused. He was looking for the perpetrator online," Dr Wood said.

"His aim is to do the work in prison and come out and continue looking after his mum. She is in her 70's and will have to manage without his assistance." Dr Wood said that Grundy has HIV and will find it difficult to ensure he gets his medication at the right times, in prison.

Judge Richard Bennett said there was no evidence at all that Grundy was searching for a paedophile online. He told Grundy that whilst he was chatting to the undercover police officer, "you described your sexual interest in abusing children and graphically described what you would like to do to them."

Grundy was jailed for five-years. He and was made the subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and will sign the sex offenders' register for the rest of his life.

Nathan O’Brien

A knife-wielding robber demanded money from staff in a string of terrifying incidents.

Police received reports of several incidents on Norton High Street within a short period of time including BetFred on January 2, and at a nearby laundromat around two weeks later. In both cases Nathan O’Brien demanded money from staff and made off from the scene.

Detectives from Stockton CID carried out enquiries, identifying the Leven Road, Norton defendant, who was subsequently arrested and questioned. The 21-year-old was charged and remanded for two counts of robbery and later pleaded guilty at court.

O’Brien attended Teesside Crown Court in May where he was sentenced to three years and four months in prison.

Detective Constable James Limon said: "These robberies happened in close proximity and in a short space of time which I know will have caused local premises owners and members of the public considerable concern. Thankfully, officers within Stockton CID were able to identify O'Brien through extensive CCTV enquiries. I welcome this week’s result and court and I’d like to thank the victims and witnesses and also the local people of Norton for their help and support."

Christina Robinson

Child murderer Christina Robinson was jailed for at least 25 years in May after the brutal killing of her three-year-old son.

The wicked mother subjected little Dwelaniyah to a campaign of shocking cruelty during which she deliberated submerged him in scalding water as punishment for soiling himself during toilet training, repeatedly hit him with a bamboo cane for trivial disobedience - claiming she was following the Bible - then left him with a fatal brain injury after shaking him at their home in Ushaw Moor, County Durham. He had around 70 injuries at the time of his death.

The 30-year-old, convicted of murder and four child cruelty charges in March but who still protests her innocence, was told she must serve a minimum of 25 years in jail before she has any chance of parole, reports ChronicleLive.

Passing sentence, Mr Justice Garnham said that on October 19 2022 Robinson, who was looking after her two sons alone as her husband was away doing RAF training, discovered Dwelaniyah, who was undergoing toilet training, had soiled himself. The judge said Robinson ran a bath of extremely hot water and did not add any cold water, as she knew she needed do for the water to be a suitable temperature to wash in.

He added: “Instead you plunged your naked three-year-old son into the scalding hot water and held him down in the water for long enough to cause the dreadful injuries we saw in the photographs.

“You must have known the water was extremely hot. That must have been obvious as you ran the water. But, in any event, any decent parent would always check the temperature of the water before putting their child into it and would never press him down into the hot water, as I find you did."

The judge said the burns would have been “intensely painful” at the time and in the days that followed. He added that Robinson did not seek proper medical help because she was more worried about the consequences of reporting it. She instead bought medical supplies online which were “wholly inadequate”.

The judge said Robinson was following religious teachings of a group known at the "Black Hebrew Israelites" at the time and listed to sermons and lectures on YouTube which led her to think, at the time, it was appropriate to punish Dwelaniyah for "objectively trivial" matters by hitting him with a bamboo cane, causing further injuries.

Michael Gales

A duty free thief was locked up, after he was caught stealing over £7,000 worth of perfume, aftershave, cigarettes and whisky.

Michael Gales, 34, bought plane tickets and travelled by ferry to steal the high value goods. He was caught after staff at the World Duty Free in Newcastle noticed gaps in perfume displayed on the shelves.

Whilst on a ferry from Calais, Gales ran down to the car deck with his stolen haul, pushing passengers queuing on the stairs out of the way. Staff chased him and he was arrested at Dover.

At Heathrow airport, he was captured on CCTV stashing a £1,245 bottle of whisky under his jacket, before boarding a flight to Dublin. In May, Gales arrived at Teesside Crown Court to be sentenced.

Gales, of Windermere Road in Hartlepool, pleaded guilty to the thefts at an earlier hearing. He has previous convictions for stealing in Holland and Poland; and 31 convictions for 60 offences in the UK.

In mitigation, Kelly Clarke told the court that Gales claimed he was coerced into stealing by others. She said that her client suffers from ligament damage in his legs, after a car crash. He had to give up his job as a cable puller and now lives on personal independence payments.

Gales was jailed for five-months.

Christopher Jackson

A veterinary surgeon and nurse locked themselves in a room in the middle of the night after a hooded intruder ignored their orders to leave.

Dr Alex Eddy and a nurse confronted Christopher Jackson, at 1.30am, when they heard banging coming from the reception area of The Bridge Veterinary Hospital, on Victoria Street, in Middlesbrough. The staff, who were working a nightshift on March 4, walked into the reception and saw Jackson rummaging around, as he carried a bottle of alcohol.

When he didn't reply, they locked themselves in a room and called the police. Officers found Jackson outside, 38, a few minutes later, hoarding a stash of £1 and 50p coins. He had stolen £50 from the till. Teesside Crown Court heard that he forced the hospital's front door open by snapping the lock off its hinge.

Christopher Jackson, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to burglary. He has 59 previous convictions for 130 offences - which include two other burglaries and over 60 thefts - over the last 20 years. In 2014, he was jailed for three years and four months, after he beat a man unconscious as he mugged him.

In mitigation, Nigel Soppitt told the court that "sadly, this has been the story of his life for over two decades". "He's been desperate for drink and drugs for 24 years," Mr Soppitt explained. The defence barrister added that Jackson didn't know anybody was inside the animal hospital when he broke in.

Judge Andrew Sutcliffe jailed Jackson for one year, telling him: "This sentence is designed to keep you off the streets for the greatest period possible. It is good that you are engaging with what the prison can offer you. You are too old to continue this pattern of consistent offending."

Nathan Wiles

A burglar raided the home of recently bereaved parents disturbing precious memories, a court heard.

Nathan Wiles, of Billingham, was sentenced to three years and nine months in prison after he was apprehended at the scene of an ongoing burglary. The 27-year-old appeared at court and pleaded guilty to four burglaries before he was sentenced.

Cleveland Police confirmed Wiles had burgled the home of some parents who had suffered a bereavement.

Temporary Detective Sergeant Ryan Thompson said: “Burglary is always an extremely invasive crime, but this was particularly upsetting due to the circ*mstances of one of the victims. I am pleased that Wiles has now been sent to prison and will not pose a threat to the public whilst he is in there.”

Mohammed Rafiq

The final member of a drugs gang who stored more then £3 million worth of etizolam pills in a storage facility was jailed in May.

The gang produced the anti-anxiety pills, which are not licenced for use in the UK, "on an industrial scale". Police also found £22,860 in cash in an Asda bag at Armadillo Storage, on Portrack Lane in Middlesbrough.

Teesside Crown Court previously heard that the drugs operation was uncovered by chance, after a police officer spotted a Renault Clio driving erratically, on Yarm Lane in Stockton on March 17, 2021. The officer chased the car, and after the driver and passengers fled, he found a kidnapped man and a meat cleaver inside.

Mohammed Rafiq , 46, was part of a drugs gang that was caught after the men fled the Clio, leaving it in a Stockton alleyway. PC Dave Richardson was about to unleash his police dog to chase the men, when he heard, "a cry for help" coming from the car.

Inside, a man on the back seat who said he had been kidnapped by four men from outside a shop on the Tilery estate in Stockton. He had minor injuries and a meat cleaver had been left next to him.

A 9mm Gloch pistol was later found - it had been thrown over a wall from the alleyway between Yarm Lane and Oxbridge Avenue, the Middlesbrough court heard.

CCTV and taxi records led police to gang member Michael Cornwell's address in Sunderland, where a drugs factory was operating. A cement user was being used in the kitchen to mix the etizolam ingredients.

Analysis of phone records showed Cornwell had made repeated calls had been made to Armadillo Storage in Middlesbrough. This led police to the £22,000.

A key found in Cornwell's bedroom belonged to "You hold the key" storage unit, on the A66 in Darlington. The court heard that after Rafiq realised that Cornwell's home had been searched, he made a "distressed call" to the storage facility asking for a second key. Suspicious staff opened up the unit, saw the drugs and called the police.

£3million of etizolam was uncovered. Ten further bags containing £59,000 of heroin were also found. Five members of the drugs conspiracy were based on Teesside; one of them mixed the drugs in Sunderland and two other men were brought over from Liverpool. Prosecutors say it is likely that the two Liverpudlians involved brought the gun to Teesside.

Mohammed Rafiq made repeated trips over the Pennines, from his home in the North-west, to work for the drugs conspiracy. He was caught on CCTV visiting the storage units and police found that he had deposited large amounts of cash into his bank account.

Rafiq's barrister Saleema Mahmood, said that her client, who is a father-of-three, was "acting on instructions from those higher up in the drugs chain". She said that Rafiq has been held in custody since September 2021 and he has endured three prison lockdowns during that time, which has meant he has not been able to take a prison job.

Ms Mahmood added: "He has been locked up for 23 hours a day. He can attend Friday prayers and the gym. He is extremely isolated and anxious."

Rafiq was jailed for eight-years. In total, the eight gang members have been jailed for 65-years.