Teesside Crown Court Sentencing Results

Luke Skelton, a former Gateshead College student with extreme right-wing views, engaged in a course of conduct from October 2020 to October 2021 aimed at preparing a terrorist attack to spark a race war. He conducted hostile reconnaissance by travelling over 10 miles from his home in Oxclose, Washington, to Forth Banks police station in Newcastle city centre in September 2021, where he took photos. Skelton researched methods to build explosives, including downloading materials on napalm, dynamite, and Molotov cocktails. He wrote a manifesto and final note expressing intent to accelerate a racial war and idolized fascist atrocities. Previously referred to the Prevent anti-terror programme, he was arrested in June 2021 but faced no further action at that time, after which he changed his online username to Adolf Hitler to evade suspicion. He was 18 at the time of the reconnaissance and is now 20.

Mason Thornton, from Ingleby Barwick, was driving a car with four passengers from a party when it crashed on the A1027 Billingham Interchange in October 2022. He had inhaled nitrous oxide moments before the incident, causing serious injuries to passenger the victim, who now requires lifelong care and has lost his future plans.

Declan Dixon, 22, of Salisbury Avenue, Hindley, Wigan, threw a missile towards police during disorder in Hartlepool on July 31, 2024, as part of the unrest following the Southport attack.

Ryan Lee Rowland Smith possessed more than 4,000 images of baby and toddler sexual abuse on his mobile phone, including 13.5 hours of video, with eight hours being category A footage depicting extreme abuse. He was arrested in October 2024 after being found accessing such content. The offences involved distributing and making indecent images of children, as well as possessing prohibited materials, which caused significant harm to victims and required officers to view harrowing evidence.

Charlie Bullock, 21, was the main instigator of a large group pushing against a police line and throwing stones and rocks at officers during disorder in Middlesbrough town centre on Sunday.

Stacey Vint, 34, was part of a group who set alight a wheelie bin and pushed it into a police cordon during disorder in Middlesbrough town centre on Sunday. In the process, she fell to the ground and was arrested.

Carl Holliday was involved in the disorder in Hartlepool on 31 July 2024, which was fuelled by deliberate online misinformation. He participated in acts of violent disorder on the streets, contributing to fear among local residents and damage to local businesses.

Steven Mailen was involved in the disorder in Hartlepool on 31 July 2024, which was fuelled by deliberate online misinformation. He participated in acts of violent disorder on the streets, contributing to fear among local residents and damage to local businesses.

Ryan Sheers was involved in the disorder in Hartlepool on 31 July 2024, which was fuelled by deliberate online misinformation. He participated in acts of violent disorder on the streets, contributing to fear among local residents and damage to local businesses.

Jonathan Laydon violently attacked a woman in April last year by strangling her until she lost consciousness twice and set fire to her garden shed. He was arrested and charged following the incident.

Andrew Vickers, of no fixed address, armed himself with a hammer and a large wooden stick and attacked a man he had known for over 20 years on Westport Close in Portrack, shortly before 1pm on Friday, April 4. He subjected the victim to numerous blows to the head, inflicting multiple injuries to the face, which were life-changing. Vickers fled the scene, discarding the weapons, and later assaulted another man, aged 69, by kicking and hitting him to the face. The incident occurred in front of members of the public, and emergency services took the first victim to James Cook University Hospital.

Laura Hepburn, 44, was director of Greenology at Liverton site near Loftus; previously involved with Selective Environmental Solutions Ltd (SESL) which breached waste exemption storage limit of 500 tonnes; ignored Environment Agency advice on waste management and fire risk; major fire on 5 April 2020 burned for nine days.

Jonathan Guy Brudenell was involved in operating waste sites at Liverton near Loftus and a farm near Whitby, breaching waste exemption storage limits, ignoring Environment Agency warnings about significant fire risk from waste storage and management. A major fire broke out on 5 April 2020 at Liverton site, burning for nine days.

Jonathan Waldron, 42, director of SESL which operated at Liverton site breaching waste exemption storage limits from December 2018; ignored Environment Agency warnings on waste storage and fire risk; also illegally deposited waste at farm near Whitby; site later refilled leading to major fire on 5 April 2020 burning nine days.

Stewart Wright, a 45-year-old man who volunteered in the Ukraine war as a self-styled humanitarian, smuggled Ukrainian F1 grenades and Russian offensive grenades from the front lines. He stored them at his home near Leeming, North Yorkshire, along with firearms ammunition and other military equipment, which were hidden in a vehicle driven across Europe into Britain in 2023. The grenades, though with fuses removed, remained highly dangerous and were disposed of by military bomb experts. He was arrested in February 2023 and the investigation found the items could have caused catastrophic damage if they had exploded.

Sophie Waugh was driving on the A6055 Leeming Lane near Kirklington on June 28, 2023, while using her mobile phone, including locking and unlocking her device multiple times, sending messages on Facebook Messenger and Snapchat, and having the Instagram app active. She struck the rear of a bicycle ridden by 71-year-old the victim, a much-loved husband, father, and grandfather, who died instantly at the scene. Waugh was driving home from work at Alanbrooke Barracks and had been using her phone prolifically up to the point of the crash, despite witnesses stating that the victim was cycling normally with proper visibility aids.

Paula Roberts, 41, mother of the 22-month-old victim, was suspicious enough about her partner Christopher Stockton to set up a spy camera above her son's cot but stayed in the relationship despite voicing concerns. The victim sustained a series of unexplained injuries after Stockton began the relationship, culminating in his death in January 2023 from head injuries inflicted by Stockton while in his sole care. Roberts left the home minutes before the fatal incident to go for an eye test. Neither adult sought medical attention for prior injuries, including one to the toddler's genitals.

Richard Tutty, during a drunken argument at home, pushed his partner to the floor, causing her to injure her right ankle, then repeatedly stamped on it while she was down. He also threw a canvas picture at her before leaving. The victim suffered a fracture to her right ankle, bruising near her eye, and reported significant physical and mental health impacts, including permanent scarring from surgery and effects on her daughter.

Joe Outlaw, a 39-year-old inmate at HMP Frankland, climbed onto the prison roof on June 21, 2023, during exercise time, leading to a 14-hour standoff with police and prison officers. He ripped up roof tiles, smashed cell windows, damaged heating ducts, and destroyed CCTV cameras, causing £170,000 in damage. This was driven by his paranoia about his food being tampered with and his ongoing frustration with his indeterminate sentence for a previous robbery.

David Gillender, 66, of Quedgeley, sexually abused three young boys in Redcar, North East, mid-1980s to 1990s.

Charles Hoe and another man ambushed a man outside a shop in Grangetown, Redcar, on 4 March. Hoe lunged at the victim with a knife, stabbing him in the stomach. The victim climbed onto a van to escape and was driven away while clinging to the roof. He suffered life-threatening internal bleeding and required immediate surgery, spending five days in hospital. Hoe later said he had 'done' the victim twice. Both defendants were later involved in crashing a stolen car into parked vehicles while masked men sought a house.

Camron Holmes pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving in Greatham on 7 June 2025, and causing death by driving while uninsured and without a licence. He was sentenced to eight years imprisonment and disqualified from driving for 14 years.

Cheryl Pickles, along with Andrew Hadwin, carried out prolonged and serious acts of neglect showing complete disregard for welfare. Described as sadistic.

Christopher Morley was involved in a 22-person operation that persuaded homeowners across the North East, Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire, including Doncaster, to pay vastly inflated prices for unnecessary or poor-quality roofing and building work between May 2021 and August 2024. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to convert criminal property linked to the movement of victims' money.

Daniel Connor, 54, of Redcar, repeatedly breached a restraining order and left his ex-partner terrified. He was given a six-month prison sentence at Teesside Crown Court.