Newcastle Crown Court Sentencing Results

Jonis Marku was caught maintaining a cannabis farm with 74 plants worth up to £15,000 at a house on Princess Street in Sunderland. He had been there for two months, feeding and watering the plants, after entering the UK illegally hoping to improve his personal circumstances. He was discovered after police stopped a vehicle on January 4, 2025, containing two Albanian men, one with £14,000 cash linked to the farm.

George Laidler, 78, of Warwick Terrace, Sunderland, engaged in depraved online conversations offering money to view sexual abuse of babies and very young children overseas, particularly in Africa and Ghana. In one chat, he requested to see sexual activity involving a six-year-old and discussed a sex act on a 'baby boy' but deemed nine years old as 'too old'. The conversations were exposed when a secret phone, which he failed to declare as a registered sex offender, was found at a bail hostel. The phone also contained a child abuse video and an extreme pornography image.

On July 3, 2025, Peter Smith, 37, of Priory Grange, Blyth, rode a stolen motorbike at excessive speeds, ignoring police pursuit starting on Plessey Road, Blyth. He mounted footpaths, crossed football fields, reached over 100mph on the A189, overtook and undertook other vehicles, rode on a cycle track near Cramlington High School, then abandoned the bike and fled in a taxi. He has 72 prior convictions including drink driving and assault, and was on a suspended sentence.

Edwin Taha, previously deported twice from the UK, illegally re-entered the country between November 10, 2025, and January 18, 2026, in breach of his deportation order. He claimed he returned to see his terminally ill grandmother with cancer before her death and to sign his son's birth certificate, as his 19-month-old son and partner live in the UK but plan to relocate to France. He was arrested on January 18, 2026, and did not commit further offences during this time. Taha has 16 prior convictions, including drugs and violence offences.

Wayne Mooney, aged 17 at the time, conspired to burgle and steal high-value cars, passing on details of a home on Kenton Avenue, Gosforth, Newcastle, including a BMW, leading to an attempted break-in on October 6, 2025. He also attempted four burglaries and interfered with two motor vehicles in Kingston Park on September 29, 2025. Police found videos on his phone showing him driving dangerously, including a Mini Cooper at 100mph while disqualified. He was arrested shortly after the October 10, 2025, stop of a stolen car linked to him.

Stuart Hansen, 41, of Honeysuckle Avenue, South Shields, subjected two women to controlling and violent behaviour. The first relationship was from 2022 until May 2024, involving jealousy, dictating clothing, locking her in a log cabin, pushing her to the floor, threats to kill, physical violence including pulling hair, pushing, punching, spitting, throwing a house key at her face injuring her eye, following her aggressively while driving, accusing her of infidelity and punching her in the face in May 2023, dragging her by the hair, striking her head, biting her face and lip, and covering her mouth in July 2023. After the relationship ended, he threatened her employer. While on bail, he began a relationship in December 2024 with a second woman, monitoring her phone, isolating her from family and friends, pouring drink over her head, falsely insinuating disposing of her late mother's hair, biting her lip at Ramside, throwing a beaker of liquid and dragging her around the house when late from bingo, biting her hand the next morning, launching a violent attack on Father's Day punching her head and body, picking her up by the neck, delivering blows to her ribs, and later applying a rear choke hold and poking her sore ribs. The second victim reported feeling like a shell of herself with flashbacks, self-harm, and trust issues.

On November 27, 2025, Mathew Frater, 45, of Galashiels Road in Sunderland, was driving in Newcastle City Centre on St James' Boulevard. Officers observed him aggressively pull away at traffic lights with wheels spinning and hard braking. He was stopped on Pitt Street where his eyes were glazed and he smelled of intoxicating liquor, leading officers to believe he was drunk. Arrested and taken to a police station, he repeatedly and deliberately failed to blow properly into the breathalyser machine, resulting in re-arrest for failing to provide a specimen of breath.

On August 13, 2025, Tequilla King, 25, of Harlow Place, Heaton, entered the Premier shop on Newton Road, Heaton, Newcastle, despite being previously banned. After being asked to leave, she swore at staff, pulled out a knife, and made repeated threats to stab the manager. Customers and staff fled in panic upon seeing the blade. She smashed up the shop, damaged parcels, and swiped the knife at the manager as he protected the till behind the Post Office screen, coming extremely close to contact. She twice tried to access the till. Police arrived eight minutes later and arrested her; she continued threats even after arrest. A female staff member reported feeling unsafe and concerned for the manager's safety.

On July 28, 2024, Maddie Kirby, then 18, was in The Mushroom Bar in Newcastle city centre when she lashed out at a stranger celebrating his engagement, striking him with a glass bottle she took from his back pocket while his back was turned. This caused a deep laceration to his forehead requiring stitches under local anaesthetic, leaving him scarred and traumatised. She was intoxicated at the time and offered no explanation in interview beyond not knowing the victim. The incident was captured on CCTV and was a single blow after which she desisted.

Harry Farrer participated in widespread violent disorder in Sunderland city centre on August 2, 2024, involving 'far right' protestors. Police came under sustained attack, turning the area into a no-go zone for the public. Footage showed Farrer behind a line of riot police where he picked up a plant and soil from a plant pot and threw it, striking the back of an officer's helmet. The riot caused community disruption, injuries to officers, and a £1.5m claim by Northumbria Police to the Home Office.

Ryan Scott, 28, formerly of Chasedale Crescent, Cowpen, Blyth, drove uninsured at 114mph on A19 in North Tyneside in dark pouring rain, accelerating hard, hitting Claire Laybourne's car at 88mph despite emergency braking after she overtook a broken-down vehicle returning from a theatre trip with her mum. Claire died from fatal injuries; her mum was badly hurt. Scott fled on foot cowardly.

On an evening in June 2025, Dean Chalmers was seen by CCTV operators lying on the ground behind a council vehicle in Manors Car Park, Newcastle, masturbating in plain view. Several members of the public entered and left the car park and could easily have seen him. He continued lying on the ground with his penis exposed until security officers arrived and spoke to him. He believed he was concealed but was horrified when discovered.

Scott Hall, 28, of Mill Lane, Whitburn, South Tyneside, thought he was chatting to a 12-year-old schoolgirl over Snapchat last January but a law enforcement operative was operating the decoy profile. He called himself 'George' on the app and said he was from Birmingham. Hall turned the conversation sexual, asked about the girl's underwear and pestered her to send him pictures of her bottom from the toilets at school. He asked if she was going to be a 'good girl for daddy' and sent her an explicit video of himself having sex with an adult female. He has been in custody on remand since last November.

On October 16, 2025, just before 2am, police spotted Steward Strong driving an Audi in Ashington, heading towards Newbiggin. Officers signalled for him to pull over, but he made off at speed, sparking a chase. Police could barely keep up as he drove off the road onto grass and they lost sight. The police helicopter spotted him in Killingworth, where a stinger device burst his tyres, but he continued driving on the wrong side of the road into blind bends before stopping. He was under the influence of drugs, leading police on a pursuit reaching 90mph in 30mph areas.

On a night in May 2025, Callum Barnes, 26, of Hunter Street, Shiney Row, Sunderland, started two fires at a stranger's home in Sunderland while intoxicated on alcohol and benzodiazepines. The victim, a roofing contractor, was not home at the time but returned to find flames engulfing the front of the house, including the upstairs window, his Ford Transit van, a shed, and some conifers. The damage to the van and tools inside cost £3,000, with house repairs estimated at tens of thousands. The victim, who raised his children in the house, felt physically sick upon seeing the destruction and questioned why Barnes, whom he did not know, targeted him.

Graham Boyd, aged 43, of Parkside Court, Ashington, stalked his ex-partner between February and April 2025. He planted secret iPhones connected to chargers in her car using the 'Find my iPhone' app to track her location. He sent unsolicited gifts including flowers, a kettle, toaster, and juicer; turned up uninvited at her home, hospital appointment, and park; photographed her with another man and sent threatening emails about him; banged on her patio doors and swore at a neighbour. After arrest on April 21, 2025, he breached bail by making 31 calls and following her on social media. The victim reported severe impact on her daily life, including selling her car, changing locks, and considering moving. The relationship was on-off since October 2021, with controlling behaviour throughout.

On March 1, 2025, around 11pm, Lewis Charlton, a 22-year-old uninsured learner driver with only a provisional licence, took his friend's white Audi for a spin in an act of stupidity. He lost control at high speed approaching a T-junction on Edgefield Road in Fawdon, Newcastle, smashing into Rayan's Barbershop and causing £7,000 in damage. The car ended up halfway inside the closed shop, which was out of action for two weeks, losing earnings. The owner had no insurance and paid for repairs himself. Charlton fled the scene but was identified via his phone contacting emergency services and DNA at the scene. The car had been seen earlier outside Kenton Social Club. He has 15 prior convictions, including careless driving and taking without consent, and six points on his provisional licence.

Freddy Smith, also known as Campbell, of East Lea, Winlaton, Gateshead, subjected his pregnant partner to a campaign of violence and humiliation between 2021 and 2022. Attacks included throwing a mug causing a wound in December 2021, stabbing her lower leg and foot with a sword around New Year 2022 leaving scars, smashing a glass bottle on her finger in March 2022, cutting her thigh with a razor blade while she showered leaving a deep wound with visible fat and scarring, forcing her to go outside naked in the cold and dark and write humiliating statements, hitting her head with a metal pole causing a cracked scalp and scar, and in July 2022 choking her, striking her legs with a metal pole or baseball bat, and punching her about 25 times causing a black eye and bruises. He exhibited controlling behaviour by restricting her phone use and mirror access. The victim suffered severe physical and emotional trauma, including a breakdown and hospitalisation.

Michael Dent, 46, of Coverdale, Gateshead, was at his girlfriend's house in July 2021 when the victim and his partner, who lived in a neighbouring property, were visiting. They were drinking in the garden and angry words were exchanged during a social gathering. The couple went home, and later that night Dent attended their home and confronted the man. In the course of the confrontation, Dent picked up a stone and struck the victim once above the right eye in a 'shot put motion', causing a deep laceration that left a permanent scar.

Aaron Day, aged 35, of Coach Lane in Hazelrigg, strangled his girlfriend by squeezing her neck for about five seconds on February 2, 2025, while she was lying on her bed in her Newcastle home, causing bruising. The relationship had been ongoing for around 18 months but was turning sour. Four months later, after the relationship ended, Day attended the victim's home and hurled a spade through her living room window, witnessed by neighbours. He was arrested following the criminal damage incident.

Tanya Rodenby, 20, of Stocksfield Avenue in Fenham, was subject to a community order imposed in April 2025 requiring 50 hours of unpaid work after being abusive to street rangers and fire brigade staff. She failed to attend appointments on October 27 and November 10, 2025, despite offers of transport from the Probation Service, citing embarrassment. She was summonsed for breaching the order and appeared in court.

Peter McAskill, 41, of West End Road, Berwick, used pseudonyms online to trick children into believing he was their age, encouraging them to send sexually explicit pictures. He was arrested in August 2023 and made subject to a Sexual Risk Order after his offending was found to centre around young children. In October 2025, he was charged with making indecent images of children, possession of extreme pornography, and possessing a prohibited image of a child. Digital forensics disproved his denials during questioning.