South Tyneside Magistrates' Court Sentencing Results

On October 27, 2024, Ian Irwin attempted to steal five Marvel action figures from Iceland in Byker by concealing them under his jacket. An officer spotted a woman acting suspiciously outside the store, entered, and noticed Irwin's bulging jacket. When stopped, Irwin admitted 'Banged to rights, I was shoplifting'. The items were recovered from inside his jacket.

Julie Lowery, 43, of Pattinson Gardens in Gateshead, entered the Durham City branch of Subway at around 11.30pm on June 9, 2025, with a male companion. After the staff refused to call the police for her cut lip, she became aggressive, screaming and shouting racist slurs including 'p**** b******' at the student worker, who felt intimidated and distressed. She then took packets of crisps without paying and left.

On October 1, 2025, Sarah White, 34, of Walker Park Close in Walker, entered John Lewis in Newcastle city centre and concealed a bottle of Paco Rabanne perfume on her person, intending to leave the store. She was challenged by security, who retrieved the perfume. The incident was captured on CCTV. During police interview, she admitted the offence and stated she planned to sell the perfume. She had previous cautions and reprimands for shoplifting but no convictions.

Rachel Hardy-Gent was seen by a delivery driver engaging in sexual intercourse with a male outside Park View Shopping Centre in full view of passers-by and shoppers. She was naked from the waist down with her chest exposed, and the male had his trousers and underwear pulled down. The incident occurred during the day, leading to police involvement. Upon arrest, a jagged broken wine bottle neck was found in her bra. Hardy-Gent, who had recently moved to the North East from Carlisle, had consumed excessive alcohol and blacked out, with no recollection of the events. She carried the bottle for self-protection without intent to use it.

Curtis Telford, 26, was staying with his grandparents in Stakeford, Northumberland, when he asked for money on November 26, 2025, which they refused believing he would use it to buy drugs. He flew into a rage, stole a TV sound bar belonging to his grandfather to sell for drugs, and while leaving the house, barged past his grandfather causing an assault with no injury, and knocked a photo frame off the wall causing criminal damage. He owned the TV but intended to sell the sound bar.

Stacey Loughlin, of Hastings Street, was served a formal notice to attend an interview with Sunderland City Council's Community Safety team regarding fly-tipping incidents in the Hendon area captured on CCTV between November 2024 and January 2025. She did not attend or provide a reasonable excuse, ignored further notices and warnings, and failed to appear in court.

Toni Steele, of Hastings Street, was served a formal notice to attend an interview with Sunderland City Council's Community Safety team regarding fly-tipping incidents in the Hendon area captured on CCTV between November 2024 and January 2025. She did not attend or provide a reasonable excuse, ignored further notices and warnings, and failed to appear in court.

On 6 March 2025, waste identifying Cheryl Gough of Fuller Road was found at a fly-tipping incident on Fuller Road in Hendon, Sunderland. She was served a formal notice to attend an interview with Sunderland City Council's Community Safety team but did not attend or provide a reasonable excuse, ignored further notices and warnings, and failed to appear in court.

Penn Elcom Limited failed to ensure the health, safety and welfare of employees and visiting workers by not having suitable and sufficient measures in place to prevent falls from height during loading and unloading operations at their site in Washington. On November 18, 2024, Graham Davis, a 65-year-old driver employed by Dobbs Logistics Ltd, suffered a brain injury and multiple fractures after falling from an HGV trailer while manually moving cages during the loading process. One wheel of a cage became stuck, causing the cage to fall and Davis to step backwards off the trailer. An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that if HSE guidance had been followed, the risks could have been identified and eliminated by changing how the work was done.

Kevin Wood, a 46-year-old with no fixed abode, was spotted by Northumbria Police officers committing an attempted robbery in Sunderland city centre. He terrorised local businesses through repeat offending and opportunistic actions, leading to charges for criminal damage, burglary, and multiple thefts.

Daniel Flint, a former Durham Constabulary officer, crashed his grey Volkswagen Transporter into street furniture near Northgate roundabout in Morpeth, Northumberland, at about 3am on February 2, 2024, while over the drink drive limit. He moved the extensively damaged vehicle from the scene before police arrived. Officers later tracked and arrested him, where a breath test showed 105mg of alcohol per 100ml of breath, exceeding the legal limit of 35mg. He provided no comment during his interview.

Dean Matthews used an EncroChat encrypted phone to organise dealing large quantities of class A drugs, including 22kg of cocaine with a street value of £803,000, across Durham, South Tyneside, and Sunderland between March and May 2020. He was identified through a picture of his 'ouch' tattoo sent via messages. Matthews was arrested in May 2022, charged in 2023, and sentenced following the investigation.