Durham Crown Court Sentencing Results

Jordan Newton, 29, from Charlotte Street, South Moor, Stanley, subjected his ex-partner to a campaign of harassment despite a non-molestation order that banned contact. This included bombarding her with calls in July and October 2024, where he demanded to meet and discuss matters. On October 4, 2024, he met her in a car park in the early hours, initially appearing calm but then becoming aggressive. He prevented her from leaving, followed her vehicle while speeding and flashing lights, and at a garage, he punched her car window, shattering it, before assaulting her by punching her four to five times in the head, causing injuries. He later called her, laughing and threatening that she would never see her children if she contacted the police. The victim reported feeling terrified, with her self-worth destroyed.

While on remand at HMP Durham on D Wing for a section 18 wounding offence, Darren John Waugh approached another prisoner from behind and punched him forcefully to the head, knocking him unconscious. The victim suffered a fractured skull, bruising to the brain, a wound to the left side of his head, nerve damage to an eye, and now requires medication, uses a walking stick, and experiences memory difficulties. The attack occurred after ongoing aggravation between the two, including the victim gesturing and calling Waugh a 'nonce'.

Aaron Whitwell, a 28-year-old man with a history of child sex offences, received his third prison sentence at Durham Crown Court in March 2025 for engaging in sexual activity with an underage girl. Whitwell, who was already serving a seven-year extended sentence for previous similar crimes, committed these latest offences while on licence from a 33-month sentence and subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) that prohibited contact with anyone under 16. The court heard that Whitwell responded to a Snapchat post featuring the underage girl and her friend. He inquired about her age, falsely claimed to be 17 under the alias 'Aaron Hardy', and after ten days of messaging, steered the conversation to sexual topics. Intimate images were exchanged, and Whitwell suggested they meet. During their first meeting, accompanied by friends, he kissed the girl. Subsequent meetings involved sexual activity, including one instance in bushes, with the pair meeting another five or six times for such encounters. In messages, Whitwell professed love for the girl. Suspicions arose when the sister of the girl's friend overheard discussions about 'Aaron', leading to the discovery of Whitwell's true identity and criminal background. He admitted six counts of sexual activity with a child, one count of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, and breaching the SHPO. Appearing via video link from HMP Moorland in South Yorkshire, Whitwell faced Judge Richard Bennett, who described him as a man with 'deviant sexual preferences, including an interest in young girls' and deemed him a dangerous offender. Judge Bennett imposed a two-year sentence for the SHPO breach, followed by a consecutive seven-year custodial sentence for the new offences, with a five-year extended licence period upon release. Whitwell must serve at least two-thirds of the seven-year term before eligibility for release, meaning his earliest possible freedom is in the mid-to-late 2030s. An indefinite restraining order was issued regarding the victim, alongside a new indefinite SHPO. The case was investigated by Durham Constabulary.

Connor Walker, 29, of Park Road, Durham, launched an unprovoked attack at York Railway Station on September 6, 2024, around 6pm. He was shadowboxing aggressively, left and returned multiple times, then punched the victim with his right fist, causing the victim to drop to the floor instantly. The victim was unconscious for two minutes, sustained a fractured skull and two bleeds on the brain requiring urgent surgery. Walker was identified from a photo by Northumbria Police, arrested two days later in Durham town centre.

Bradley Grayson, 27, from Houghton-le-Spring, repeatedly sexually abused a vulnerable teenager after drinking with her and making her heavily intoxicated. He groomed her and had sex with her on multiple occasions; the victim feared he would 'kick off' if she resisted. The abuse led to her pregnancy and the birth of his child. She initially concealed his identity, even from her mother, before confiding in family and police. Grayson pleaded guilty to six counts of sexual activity with a child and was sentenced at Durham Crown Court.

Cameron Greaves, a 21-year-old from Crook, County Durham, was sentenced for possessing and making over 1,500 indecent images of children and extreme pornography including sadistic animal abuse material. He had earlier been jailed for 18 months for voyeurism after covertly filming two boys. Additional devices seized in April 2024 revealed a larger cache of illegal material. Greaves actively traded images online, requesting 'the harder the better' and sought to purchase animal abuse material from a jailed zoologist. The investigation began in June 2023 when police identified his Google account uploading indecent images of children.

Michael Gill, 31, of Braeside, Edmondsley, County Durham, was sentenced for breaching his Sexual Harm Prevention Order and sex offender notification requirements. He failed to disclose a three-year relationship with a woman who had two young children, resulting in unsupervised contact with them. He had been convicted in 2020 for attempting to meet a girl under 16 following grooming. Despite a community order and SHPO, he entered the relationship in 2022, often stayed overnight, and accompanied the family on a camping holiday, deceiving the mother about his criminal past. The children were later removed from her care.

Joss Hellem, a 23-year-old from Newton Aycliffe, groomed a vulnerable teenage girl via Snapchat, saving himself in her phone as 'Shaggy'. He built a deceptive relationship, pressuring her into sex acts and sending naked photos, threatening to end the relationship if she did not comply. The grooming came to light when the girl's mother discovered inappropriate messages and contacted Durham Constabulary. Hellem was arrested and admitted the offences. At Durham Crown Court, he pleaded guilty to eleven charges and showed no emotion as he was sentenced.

Lee Barker, a former soldier who served in Iraq in 2003 and 2004, engaged in a prolonged campaign of stalking against his ex-partner after their relationship ended in July of the previous year. He sent repeated threatening text messages, used withheld numbers to call her, and made veiled threats about her seeing other men. Barker attended her workplace, a hairdressing salon in Ferryhill, refusing to leave and once parking so close to her car that she could not leave. He also went to her home, shouting and screaming outside on October 9 of the previous year. Despite her efforts to block him, he created a fake Facebook account to contact her with an apology. The victim altered her daily routines, including dog walks and salon security, due to fear.

Colin Quinn shone a laser pen from his house in Ferryhill towards a police helicopter that was assisting in a missing person inquiry on June 29. This action caused interference with the helicopter's operations and raised safety concerns for the crew. He was the only male occupant at the address, initially denied involvement, but a green laser pen was found hidden in the couch where he was sitting. The incident was captured on footage, leading to his arrest.

Bernard Conlin, 33, of Inchcape Terrace, Grants Houses, Horden, committed a catalogue of violence against his ex-partner in Seaham between October 2023 and March 2024, including two counts of non-fatal strangulation, four assaults, two instances of criminal damage, and two threats with an offensive weapon. He also threatened a neighbour and her son, leading the victim to flee her house by jumping from a bedroom window on March 24.

Hugh Holmes, 36, of Tudhoe Moor, Spennymoor, drove at a man he was fighting with, James Cowie, in Ferryhill on December 19, last year, but struck an innocent passer-by who intervened, causing long-term life-changing brain injuries. He also admitted driving while disqualified, without insurance, and failing to provide a breath specimen.

Liam Johnson, 34, formerly of Stanley and more recently of Gartland Road, Grindon, Sunderland, blackmailed his ex-partner over an eight-month period, demanding about £7,500 to fund his cocaine addiction, with threats of violence and damage to her and her home, as well as to her mother.

Ian Maughan, a 65-year-old from Consett, committed sexual assaults against victims, threatened them with an offensive weapon (a baseball bat), possessed the weapon, engaged in stalking that caused serious alarm, and made threats to kill. These offences occurred after the death of his wife and another family bereavement, leading to deep psychological effects on victims, including nightmares and the need for counselling. He deliberately delayed proceedings and was manipulative throughout.

Jordan Boyle was found in an intoxicated state at an address on School Terrace, Stanley, on May 10, 2024, during a disturbance. He was shouting at police officers, smelled of alcohol, and had glazed eyes. Upon arrest, a butterfly knife was found in his pocket. While in the police vehicle, he spat repeatedly and threatened to kill an officer and his family. He later claimed he did not know how the knife got into his pocket and had little memory due to intoxication. This incident was aggravated by his prior convictions, including a 2019 sentence for wounding with intent.

Ricky Drewett, who had been released from prison just hours earlier, engaged in a street brawl on Coronation Street North in Murton on April 2. He was captured on camera stabbing a man in his 30s with a knife during the altercation, which occurred after police were called to reports of an aggressive man. Officers tasered Drewett and arrested him on site. The victim made a full recovery, though he did not support the prosecution. Drewett's actions were influenced by alcohol and his history of drug use.

Darryl Anderson, 38, was drink driving and collided with another vehicle at speeds exceeding 140mph on the A1(M) in County Durham on 31 May 2024, causing the deaths of eight-month-old Zackary Blades and his 30-year-old aunt Karlene Warner.

Ian Tate abused two girls, one under 16 and the other under 13, by engaging in or inciting sexual activity with them. Despite his denials, he was convicted of five offences following a trial. The abuse caused the victims severe psychological harm, including flashbacks, depression, anxiety, self-harm, and substance misuse, as they were told they would not be believed if they reported it.

Elle Louise Kathleen Burnside drove Ben Doyle away from the scene after he attacked his neighbour with a baseball bat on Coxwold Drive, Darlington, in the early hours of June 21, 2023. Her involvement was limited and unplanned, occurring after the assault had taken place.

Ben Doyle attacked his neighbour with a baseball bat during a noise dispute outside their homes on Coxwold Drive, Darlington, in the early hours of June 21, 2023. He threw a bottle at the neighbour first, then struck him hard on the head, causing him to fall unconscious, and hit him again before fleeing the scene. The victim suffered a fractured skull, haemorrhages, and ongoing issues including exhaustion, sleep difficulties, memory problems, and inability to obtain life insurance.