Teesside Crown Court Sentencing Results

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.

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.

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.

Cameron Clifford was a police call handler for Durham Police who accessed confidential force records after an undercover officer gave a false tip about cocaine dealers he knew. He sent photographs of intelligence records to the gang and made urgent attempts to contact them so they could 'stay out of jail'. He was a heavy cocaine user with debts to the dealers and had a close relationship with them.

Anthony Hancock attempted to engage in sexual communication with an underage girl online and attempted to incite a girl to engage in sexual activity. He also failed to comply with sex offender notification requirements by not registering aliases used on chat apps.

David Halcrow, 47, from Murray Street, Hartlepool, was involved in a stabbing on October 21, 2023, at Glastonbury Walk, Hartlepool, with John Robbins. They punched and kicked a man in his 60s inside a house, threw a blanket over his head, dragged him to the living room, and stabbed him in the thigh after Robbins instructed to 'finish him'. The victim lost one and a half litres of blood from an 8cm deep wound and required hospital treatment.

David Hey reacted violently when police attended a property in Hartlepool on August 2, 2026. He waved a knife described as between a zombie knife and a sword, and assaulted three police officers; a child was present during the incident. Officers discharged a taser before handcuffing and arresting him. He later pleaded guilty to the offences.

Emma Largan broke into a neighbour's flat in Great Ayton in the early hours of April 8 and set it alight after threatening to kill the same neighbour months earlier. The fire caused £70,000 of damage and forced the upstairs resident to be rehoused. Largan had been in custody since May and had attended courses for anger management, alcohol misuse, and substance misuse.

Donald Gaote-Oueyeya, already serving a life sentence for murdering a 17-year-old in a gang attack in Wandsworth, London, attacked a fellow inmate at HMP Frankland on April 30, 2025, during association time. He used a makeshift weapon from prison cutlery, causing a 7cm neck laceration, 5cm forehead wound, and 2cm finger cut. A prison officer was also injured while intervening. He was sentenced for wounding with intent and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Dwayne Bates was one of two hired gunmen who shot through the living room window of a family home in Thorntree, Middlesbrough, on the night of May 7, 2025. The mother was standing by the window and avoided being hit by jumping onto the sofa. A bullet lodged in the wall behind her. The men had been hired to force a man to pay an alleged £20,000 drugs debt. The mother had received prior threats of rape, arson, and acid attack. Bates and his co-defendant Kieron Robinson, both masked, approached the house with another unidentified man. One firearm failed to discharge; the other fired through the window. Afterwards they burned their clothes. Bates had a criminal history including aggravated burglary and violent disorder.

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.

Jack Cunningham threw a cup of boiling coffee over a healthcare assistant at Roseberry Park Hospital, leaving the victim with permanent scars and burns to his chest and shoulder. He also threw an observation machine and was abusive to staff.

Jack Appleton was arriving at an unofficial car meet in Murton, County Durham, on 22 September 2024 when he overtook another car at an estimated 70mph on a 50mph road. He collided head-on with an oncoming motorbike rider, who suffered catastrophic injuries and was declared dead at the scene. Appleton's car then skidded into parked cars, narrowly missing spectators. He admitted causing death by dangerous driving and was sentenced at Teesside Crown Court.

James Wheatley-Taylor attacked his then partner on 10 April, squeezing her neck and restricting her breathing for 40 seconds. Just over a fortnight later, on 25 April, he attempted to set fire to her flat by starting a fire in a bin in her bedroom; the victim burnt her hand while removing the burning bin. He admitted intentional strangulation, arson with intent to endanger life, possession of class A drugs and arson being reckless as to whether life is endangered.

Jamie Latham, 38, from Stockton, was sentenced after taking a leading role in violent attacks on police during disorder in Middlesbrough on August 4, 2024. Around 1,000 people had gathered as part of nationwide unrest. Latham was recorded confronting officers on Borough Road, encouraging others to charge police lines, punching an officer in the face, kicking shields, and pushing against officers. He left the UK the following day and was later arrested at Newcastle Airport after returning. The court heard he had 11 previous offences, including football-related disorder and assaulting an emergency worker.

While serving a life sentence at HMP Frankland, Bah attacked a fellow prisoner with a makeshift blade made from a bent tuna can lid, slashing him near the ear as he was being escorted back to his cell. The attack happened last year.

Ian Neasham, aged 64 from Londonderry Village, North Yorkshire, carried out an 11‑year campaign of sexual abuse against young girls, beginning when his youngest victim was aged 10. The offences included multiple rapes and indecent assaults. A victim spoke out in November 2020, triggering a police investigation that gathered evidence from interviews, counselling records, Neasham’s home and his digital devices. He was convicted of 24 charges including nine counts of rape.

Gordon Nicholson attacked his partner on 23 March after she ran out of cash while at a friend's home. He pulled her hair and pushed her out of the house, then kicked her in the back, knocking her to the floor. She suffered two broken ribs and a punctured lung. Nicholson crouched on top of her and strangled her, and asked another person for a knife saying he wanted to 'stab her up'. The victim spent nine days in intensive care and has long-lasting nerve damage.