Newcastle Crown Court Sentencing Results

Elton Rustemi was found inside a commercial-scale cannabis farm in Easington Lane after a police raid in July. Officers found 270 plants growing across several rooms with specialist heating, lighting and ventilation equipment, and the electricity had been bypassed. Rustemi admitted cultivating cannabis.

Police were called to an address in Sunderland on 13 February. David Gooch was woken and told to get dressed and leave. When an officer shone a torch to help him see, Gooch produced a revolver-style BB gun loaded with rubber ammunition. One constable, believing it was a handgun, ran and yelled 'gun', while another drew a taser and ordered Gooch to drop the weapon. He complied and later apologised. Gooch described it as a moment of madness and said he did not intend the police to fear for their safety.

David Hoyle, 43, was seen carrying a sword through a residential street in Gateshead while shouting and searching for those he believed had robbed him of a gold chain. CCTV showed him walking with the sword before handing it to his then-partner, who threw it over a wall before police arrived. Hoyle claimed he had taken the sword from a robber and was not intending to confront anyone, but the judge rejected his account. The court concluded he had likely returned home, collected the weapon and gone back out seeking revenge. He admitted possession of a bladed article and cannabis.

On 19 December 2025, David Kelly was travelling on a Jet2 flight from Turkey to Newcastle when he became intoxicated and abusive. He shouted racist abuse, made a homophobic remark, stated 'Hitler knew' and performed a Nazi salute. He singled out a Turkish passenger, calling him a terrorist, and distressed a young family who were moved away from him. He refused to sit down and fasten his seatbelt as the aircraft prepared to land. Police were waiting at Newcastle Airport and arrested him. He pleaded guilty to being drunk on an aircraft and a racially aggravated public order offence.

David Lionel Baker, formerly of Startforth, groomed a 15-year-old girl after contacting her on Facebook. He forced the girl into a sex act at a Newcastle hotel.

In November 2024, following an initial assault on a woman in Sunderland over a blocked driveway, the woman and her partner returned to check on a friend. Further violence flared, and Milley became involved as an accomplice. He and another man joined the initial attacker, and the group followed the woman and her partner before attacking the man, who later needed 27 staples. Milley admitted causing grievous bodily harm to the man and affray.

Darren Robertshaw was visiting HMP Northumberland when he dropped a blue package from his clothing onto the ground and kicked it towards an inmate he was visiting. The package contained 12.8g pregabalin, 18.2g buprenorphine and 195 zopiclone tablets, all Class C drugs. He told an officer he did not know the inmate and that someone put him up to it because he was in debt.

Danielle Johnson admitted using an electricity supply that had been bypassed at her home in North Tyneside between August and November 2022. The case followed a fatal house fire in January 2023 in which her 18-year-old daughter died. Prosecutors offered no evidence on a manslaughter charge after receiving expert evidence that the electricity meter may not have caused the fire and that other third-party involvement could not be ruled out. The judge noted the tragic background and her loss, and imposed a two-year conditional discharge.

Langley was a passenger in a car driven by Reece Hepplewhite when Hepplewhite drove at the victim in South Shields, killing the victim's dog. Langley had argued with the victim online and sent a voice message threatening to chop the dog's head off and put it on a pole. During the incident he shouted at Hepplewhite to run the victim and his dogs over. Langley claimed there was no intention to kill the dog.

Daniel McColl inflicted grievous bodily harm on an infant, leaving the child with a fractured thigh bone and multiple broken ribs. The injuries were discovered when the baby's nappy was changed at home, prompting an urgent hospital admission. Medical staff confirmed a spiral fracture to the left thigh and several rib fractures. McColl admitted responsibility for the injuries during police interviews.

Luke Tyson amassed hundreds of indecent images of children, including 192 images (51 in the most serious category) and 246 videos (127 in the most serious category) featuring babies up to 12-year-olds being abused, such as a three or four-year-old girl being raped by a man. Also found a prohibited image of a man having sex with a pig. Discovered after his partner reported him upon finding images and concerning chats on his phone. Breached sexual risk order by possessing an unregistered phone and online storage account.

Mark Hardy attacked his ex-partner at her rural Northumberland home after demanding to see her phone and finding a message from a concerned friend. He beat her unconscious, spat at her, strangled her repeatedly, threatened to kill her, dragged her into a barn and approached with an axe. The victim was able to press an emergency call button and relay information to the call handler, allowing police to arrive. She required dental surgery and continues to receive treatment for neck pain caused by the repeated strangulation.

Marc Burton and his partner John Harrison hosted online video chatrooms in February 2016 where they streamed Category A child sexual abuse footage and discussed abusing babies. Burton was arrested at his home in Jarrow on 1 November 2017, where police found drugs and electronic scales. His devices contained 1,125 Category A abuse images and videos. He pleaded guilty to possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material.

Leon Watson, 35, from Sunderland, joined an anti-immigration protest on 2 August 2024 that turned violent. He threw missiles at police, handed items to others to throw, blocked a taxi and shouted at the driver while encouraging others to attack the car. Up to 1,000 people were involved in the disorder which included attacks on Asian-owned businesses, looting, petrol bombs, damage to a mosque, seven police cars and a police office destroyed by arson. Watson admitted riot.

Marlon Mullings, 53, became angry after being asked to leave Soho Rooms nightclub and threatened to come back. Around 15 minutes later, he returned with a knife hidden up his sleeve and confronted security staff. The knife was dropped to the floor before Mullings was restrained and arrested by police.

Matthew Andrew Leiper cleared land he owned south of Berwick-Upon-Tweed, dumped scrap vehicles and waste, and lit bonfires causing smoke to fill nearby homes between March and July 2020. Environment Agency officers visited in March 2020, warned him to stop, but found continued activity including smouldering waste in June 2020.

In July 2021, Kieran Phillips, then 17, entered his girlfriend's home in Sunderland while she was lying on her bed. He was holding a Rambo-style knife, which he had previously used to throw at items. Despite her request to put it away, he swung it at the bed between her legs, laughing, which terrified her. She moved her legs, and the knife struck the top of her right foot, causing a large cut requiring stitches. Phillips blamed her for moving and threatened to injure the other foot if she told anyone. She initially lied to hospital staff about the injury, claiming it was from garden shears, but reported it to police three years later. The attack has left her unable to compete in gymnastics, affected her coaching work, caused ongoing physical pain and numbness, and deteriorated her mental health.

Wilson, 63, had been made subject to a 10-year sexual harm prevention order after a conviction for exposure. The order banned him from entering a railway station or travelling on a train while under the influence of intoxicants. He was caught drunk on a Metro at South Gosforth.

Kern Rayne subjected his partner to more than two-and-a-half years of domestic abuse, violence and controlling behaviour between January 2023 and September 2025. The court heard he threw a bottle at the victim's head, repeatedly punched her, poured coffee and bleach over her, damaged her kitchen worktop and car, and sent repeated messages demanding she prove her whereabouts. He displayed significant sexual jealousy and what the judge described as 'cocaine-fuelled paranoia', repeatedly making unfounded accusations of infidelity while boasting about his own affairs. He also lied to and gaslighted the victim and isolated her from family and friends. The judge said Rayne had failed to take responsibility and continued to blame the victim.

Keith Casey, 32, confronted two men in Byker, Newcastle, on 16 April, shouting about them being 'foreigners' and 'asylum seekers'. He picked up a hammer from their tool box and brandished it towards them, then smashed the car windscreen. One of the men broke his shin bone and damaged knee ligaments when he fell during the encounter. Casey was intoxicated at the time and was arrested after trying to run away.

Jonathan Evans threatened to kill the son of a woman after she made a report about him to police. The woman called 999 in June and told officers Evans had made threats to her and her property. He was arrested and bailed with conditions not to contact her or attend her address. Two days later he saw her in South Shields, told her to drop the charges and warned he would kill her son. Later that day she received a series of phone calls and Evans turned up at her house but was chased away by a neighbour. He admitted perverting the course of justice.

John Tyas and Kai Gray were at Monkseaton Metro station on the evening of January 21 when they fired air pistols from the hip at advertising hoardings and in the direction of members of the public. The pair were wearing balaclavas and had pellets. A concerned member of the public alerted police, who arrested them and seized the weapons. Metro services were held for 12 minutes, causing a total delay of 90 minutes. Tyas pleaded guilty to possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.

MacFarlane, from South Shields, admitted multiple child sex offences. Between June and November 2023 he met a nine-year-old boy through a PlayStation, moved contact to Snapchat, sexually abused the child online and pressured him into sending videos of him performing graphic sex acts on another nine-year-old. MacFarlane also messaged a 13-year-old boy he had met on Facebook, twice met up with him and filmed the child performing a sex act upon him, then offered money to do it again. He had indecent images of children on his phone and tablet. After arrest and release under investigation, he was made subject of an interim sexual risk order banning contact with under-18s, but he breached it within months by having three 16-year-old boys round to his home and hiding one in a cupboard when police called. He also had undisclosed devices containing more indecent images.

Kai Gray and John Tyas were at Monkseaton Metro station on the evening of January 21 when they fired air pistols from the hip at advertising hoardings and in the direction of members of the public. The pair were wearing balaclavas and had pellets. A concerned member of the public alerted police, who arrested them and seized the weapons. Metro services were held for 12 minutes, causing a total delay of 90 minutes. Gray pleaded guilty to possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.

Jenna Thompson, 40, of Jarrow, catfished her best friend by posing as a man and his son, sending menacing messages with pictures of grenades, crossbow, and references to a new shooter, extorting £23,446 in 87 bank transfers between November 2023 and July 2024, leaving victim with 16p.