Teesside Crown Court Sentencing Results

On August 21, 2025, Michael Hill, 24, of Raby Court, Middlesbrough, who was hooded and riding a dark electric bike while under the influence of cannabis and cocaine, collided with a seven-year-old boy who had stepped onto Westminster Road. Hill, disqualified from driving, fled the scene after the boy suffered a traumatic brain injury and fractures, leaving him wheelchair dependent and requiring ongoing hospital care. Hill broke his arm in the crash, attempted to flee on his damaged bike, then escaped on the back of his accomplice's moped. He was tracked via CCTV and arrested on September 1, 2025, at James Cook University Hospital.

Anthony Crozier, 54, of Seaham, engaged in online conversations with an individual he believed was another man with access to a 7-year-old girl and young son, sending sexually explicit messages describing how he wanted to abuse the children. Unbeknownst to him, he was communicating with an investigating officer from the North East Regional Organised Crime Unit (NEROCU) and Yorkshire and Humber Regional Organised Crime Unit (YHROCU). He was arrested on July 29, 2025, and charged. He appeared at Durham Crown Court on August 29, 2025, and pleaded guilty.

Amin Samater, 31, of Newcastle, met two teenage girls in Middlesbrough town centre, having previously met them a week earlier. The girls informed him of their age, and he referred to them as 'babies'. He booked a taxi and took them to a hotel in Teesside, where he persistently attempted to book a room in person with cash and then over the phone, but was refused. Suspicious hotel staff contacted police. The three were found in a nearby McDonald's after being with Samater for five hours. Upon arrest, he was in possession of cannabis and denied the offences.

On June 13, 2025, Charlie Forsythe, an off-shore worker from South Shields, was drinking and under the influence of drugs when he made a striking gesture towards a homeless man sitting outside The Pig Iron pub on Albert Road in Middlesbrough. Captured on CCTV, Forsythe picked up a piece of paving slab outside the nearby HSBC bank and struck the victim, who fell to the ground. He hit the victim again before fleeing. Tracked by CCTV, he was stopped by police, sweating as if he had been running, and claimed he had seen what happened but was not a grass. The victim suffered five broken facial bones, was unable to open his mouth properly, required surgery, and had a swollen, bleeding cheek. The victim subsequently left the area and missed a hospital follow-up. Witnesses refused to speak to officers.

Chevez Le-Cheminant armed himself with a glass bottle during a mass brawl on William Street, Eston, on April 25, which started after Kane Bradley accused a delivery driver and called for back-up. He threw punches at the other group, and the incident involved weapons like poles, sticks, and a machete, leading to injuries and public intervention.

Callum Riley threatened takeaway staff and participated in a mass brawl on William Street, Eston, on April 25, which erupted after Kane Bradley accused a delivery driver and called for back-up. The violence involved weapons and assaults, leading to injuries, and Riley was later stopped for drug driving in November 2024 with cannabis and cocaine byproducts in his system.

Levi Le-Cheminant punched a man in the face, performed a running kick, and swung a machete at victims during a mass brawl on William Street, Eston, on April 25. The brawl began when Kane Bradley accused a delivery driver and sought back-up, involving armed individuals and resulting in injuries, with Levi also found in possession of cocaine wraps.

Kane Bradley accused a takeaway delivery driver of attacking his friend, then used a hammer to strike a chef and whistled for back-up, escalating into a mass brawl on William Street, Eston, on April 25. The violence involved multiple attackers, with members of the public intervening, and resulted in injuries including slash marks. Bradley was actively involved in drug supply based on a separate police raid in November.

Sarah Leighton, 48, from Queen Street, Bishop Auckland, was involved in a drug smuggling gang that operated from County Durham to Thailand. The gang used drug mules to transport cannabis back to the UK, with police seizing over £280,000 in cash and drugs worth £13m during the investigation.

Christopher Sowerby, 30, from Teesdale Walk, Shildon, was part of a drug smuggling gang that imported cannabis from Thailand using mules. The gang stored the drugs in a safe house for onward distribution, leading to the seizure of drugs with a street value of £13m and over £280,000 in cash.

Ian Sowerby, 32, from Teesdale Walk, Shildon, was involved in a drug smuggling ring that transported cannabis from Thailand to the UK. The gang used safe houses to store the drugs, resulting in the recovery of drugs worth £13m and cash seizures by authorities.

Ethan Smith, 23, from Queen Street, Bishop Auckland, was part of a drug smuggling operation that sent mules to Thailand to obtain cannabis for importation into the UK. The gang's activities resulted in the seizure of drugs valued at £13m and over £280,000 in cash by police.

Shaun Sowerby, 37, from Teesdale Walk, Shildon, participated in a County Durham gang that smuggled drugs from Thailand. The operation involved safe houses for storing cannabis and cocaine, with police seizing 1.3 tonnes of cannabis and 30kg of cocaine during the investigation.

Hugh Holmes drove his Renault Megane at a victim who was trying to break up a fight on Faraday Street in Ferryhill on December 19, 2024. The victim, an innocent bystander, was hit and jammed between Holmes' car and another vehicle, suffering traumatic brain injuries that required seven months of hospital treatment. The incident stemmed from a altercation involving Holmes' girlfriend and others.

James Cowie was involved in a street fight in County Durham on 19 December 2024. He had been fighting with another man after a passenger in the other man's car claimed people in Cowie's van had been offensive to her. Cowie pleaded guilty to affray and was sentenced to eight months immediate imprisonment.

Kealan Hutchinson, 22, of Darlington, collaborated with Clare Hume and Sophie Hume to sell puppies without a licence between May 2020 and April 2021. They used false accounts on Gumtree and Pets4Home to advertise various breeds, including cavapoos, bred dogs, and sourced puppies from places like Northern Ireland. The trio earned between £37,000 and £60,000 from this unlicensed commercial activity, with no evidence of animal ill-treatment, but they bypassed required licensing and checks under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

Clare Hume, 42, of Darlington, along with Sophie Hume and Kealan Hutchinson, operated an unlicensed business selling various breeds of puppies, including cavapoos, between May 2020 and April 2021. They set up false accounts on Gumtree and Pets4Home, bred dogs, collected puppies from sources including Northern Ireland, and misrepresented sales as domestic litters. There was no evidence of animal ill-treatment, but they conducted a substantial commercial operation without required checks or a licence under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

Sophie Hume, 22, of Darlington, along with Clare Hume and Kealan Hutchinson, illegally sold puppies without a licence between May 2020 and April 2021. They advertised on Gumtree and Pets4Home using false accounts, bred and collected puppies from various sources including Northern Ireland, and claimed sales were of domestic litters. The operation earned between £37,000 and £60,000, with messages indicating they knew it was easier and more profitable than selling drugs, though no animal neglect was evident.

Janette Price, 69, was involved in a long-running dispute with her neighbours in Redcar over property upkeep and alcohol. On July 23, 2024, she armed herself with a kitchen knife and confronted her neighbour, stabbing her in the abdomen, which punctured her liver, and in the hand. The victim required surgery and now suffers from limited mobility, anxiety, and PTSD. Price was under the influence of alcohol during the incident and delayed emergency access to the victim.

Joshua Wilson, aged 20, was involved in a series of counterblow attacks in March 2024 as part of a dispute between rival organised crime gangs in South Durham. The attacks included throwing a petrol bomb at a house in St Helen Auckland on March 5, 2024, firing a shotgun at the front door; throwing another petrol bomb and firing a shotgun and a Skorpion machine gun at a house in Shildon on March 11, 2024; and throwing a petrol bomb and firing a 9mm pistol at a house in Darlington on March 17, 2024. No injuries occurred, and the incidents caused damage to the properties.

Taylor Ford, aged 20, was involved in a series of counterblow attacks in March 2024 as part of a dispute between rival organised crime gangs in South Durham. The attacks included throwing a petrol bomb at a house in St Helen Auckland on March 5, 2024, firing a shotgun at the front door; throwing another petrol bomb and firing a shotgun and a Skorpion machine gun at a house in Shildon on March 11, 2024; and throwing a petrol bomb and firing a 9mm pistol at a house in Darlington on March 17, 2024. No injuries occurred, and the incidents caused damage to the properties.

Ben Strangeways carried out a poison pen letter campaign, sending sickening letters to at least 10 victims across the country, including threats of rape and murder of their children, with references to engaging in necrophilia and murdered toddler. The campaign began with a Christmas card sent on December 24, and victims included a mum-of-four from Merseyside. He was arrested on January 10 at a bus station in possession of a flick knife and an 'attack kit' containing handcuffs, eye mask, ankle and wrist ties, energy tablets, and a drink. A search of his home uncovered handwritten letters, a black balaclava, a hammer, a knife, an air pistol, books about serial killers, and a 'child-like' sex doll.

Bradley Richmond, 29, of no fixed abode, stabbed his girlfriend through her hand in a jealous rage in 2016 after seeing a photo on her phone, causing permanent nerve damage that required surgery. He also bit off a man's ear during an altercation in Darlington on July 8, 2023, while out drinking, which led to unsuccessful reattachment surgery. The victim of the stabbing reported ongoing physical and mental health effects, including financial strain from work leave.

On 7th May 2025 at around 11:10pm, Dwayne Bates and Keiron Robinson attended an address in Middlesbrough, both in possession of firearms. One man fired a shotgun through the window of the home at short range while children were inside. The other gun jammed and did not fire. Both suspects fled the scene; no one was physically injured.