Three murderers among North East criminals who will spend Christmas behind bars after being jailed

These offenders will be behind bars over Christmas after they were handed jail sentences in November. North East courts heard about some despicable crimes during the month, ranging from murder to drugs and sexual offences, and the judges felt only prison sentences were appropriate. The length of sentences means the perpetrators will remain behind bars on Christmas and New Year's Day.

Among the cases heard was that of teenager Logan MacPhail, who murdered Holly Newton in a "vicious and brutal attack" and was given a 17-year minimum term of detention. MacPhail was unhappy his relationship with 15-year-old Holly had ended and travelled to Hexham armed with a knife. He then secretly followed Holly for around an hour, before approaching her as she waited in a bus stop.



MacPhail persuaded Holly to go into a nearby alley to talk. It was then he launched a frenzied knife attack which killed her. Jurors found MacPhail guilty of murdering Holly.

In another case, a savage murderer left his ex partner with 123 injuries and burnt her with a cigarette as she lay unconscious and dying. Stephen Todd subjected vulnerable Melissa Eastick to repeated beatings in his home in Sunderland which left her fatally injured. Todd, who had been given a suspended prison sentence for assaulting Melissa weeks earlier and went on to admit her murder, was told he must serve at least 21 years and four months of a life sentence.

Meanwhile, a man brutally battered a dad-of-three to death with a baton as he lay in bed. Adrian Wright was a guest in the home where Allen Adeyemi Tejan had been staying when he launched a sickening and sustained attack with the weapon and tried to smother him with a pillow. Wright, 53, must serve a minimum of 18 years and four months of a life sentence.

November also saw the sentencing of Thomas Kwan, a GP who was jailed for more than 31 years for trying to kill his mother's partner by injecting him with a fake Covid booster jab laced with poison. Kwan was working as a doctor at a North East surgery when he hatched a sinister plot to murder Patrick O'Hara, who he saw as an obstacle to him receiving his inheritance as early as he wanted, should anything happen to his mum. Kwan disguised himself as a community nurse to carry out the audacious plot.

He admitted attempted murder and was jailed for 31 years and five months. Full details of these cases and all the others where defendants received prison sentences in November 2024 are outlined below. Keep up to date with all the latest court news from the North East with our free newsletter Logan MacPhail The jealous teenage killer who murdered Holly Newton in a "vicious and brutal attack" was given a 17-year minimum term of detention.

Logan MacPhail was unhappy his relationship with 15-year-old Holly had ended and travelled to Hexham armed with a knife on January 27 last year. He then secretly followed Holly for around an hour, before approaching her as she waited in a bus stop outside a pizza shop. MacPhail, 16 at the time but now 17, of Birtley, Gateshead , then persuaded Holly to go into a nearby alley to talk.

It was then he launched a frenzied knife attack which killed her. Following a trial at Newcastle Crown Court, jurors found MacPhail guilty of murdering Holly and wounding another youth with intent when they went to her aid. He was detained at His Majesty’s Pleasure and must serve a minimum term of 17 years.

As he had already spent 641 days on remand, he will technically serve 15 years and 89 days. Read the full court report here. Jamie Pollard, Steven Smith and Donna Teague Street robbers left two men badly injured with gratuitous violence to steal from them in Newcastle city centre.

Jamie Pollard carried out both attacks, one of them on a homeless man with Steven Smith and the other on a bar worker with Donna Teague. The homeless man was stamped on and repeatedly punched in his makeshift bed, while the second victim suffered a broken collarbone and dislocated shoulder. Pollard, 35, of Trinity Street, North Shields, pleaded guilty to two robberies and fraud and was jailed for 91 months.

Smith, 30, of Graingerville North, Newcastle, was jailed for 40 months. Teague, 41, of Penman Place, North Shields, admitted robbery and was jailed for 40 months. Read the full story here.

Paul Kelly A thief carried out a frenzied and brutal attack on a "lonely" victim and left him bloodied and "barely recognisable". Paul Kelly, 38, had been drinking booze and seeking drugs when he befriended a "lonely man seeking company" in Gateshead on October 31 last year. Kelly then went to the man's home where they both drank.

But at some point things turned sour, and there was a "dispute" between the men, leading Kelly to attack the victim with a Jack Daniels bottle and a mallet. The ferocity of the attack left the victim with 17 separate wounds and lacerations to his head, a broken nose and eye socket, and four broken ribs. After carrying out the vicious attack, Kelly pocketed the man's wallet before falling asleep upstairs.

The two men were eventually found the next day, when police carried out a welfare check on the victim, and found him slumped behind the front door with horrific injuries. Kelly, of Millway, Deckham, Gateshead, went on to plead guilty to inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent, theft and assaulting an emergency worker. He was given a 12 year and six month extended prison sentence, eight years and six months of which will be custodial, the rest will be on licence.

Here's the full story. David Falcus A North Tyneside pub landlord who attempted to escape to the Middle East after admitting his role in a cocaine conspiracy was jailed. David Falcus used the handle 'Novaghost' on an encrypted messaging app to facilitate the supply of the Class A substance into the North East.

A Northumbria Police investigation found the 52-year-old was involved in the supply of more than two kilograms of cocaine between March and June 2020. Falcus, of Bede Close, Holystone, was arrested in February 2021, and searches of his home address and business premises were conducted. More than £2,000 in cash was recovered from Falcus' home, with a further £4,650 found at his place of work along with six cocaine packages worth more than £4,000.

He initially denied any wrongdoing but was subsequently charged with conspiracy to supply cocaine and released on conditional bail after his first court appearance. Falcus later attempted to flee the country with a flight booked to Bahrain, but was stopped by officers and arrested at Heathrow Airport on July 24 this year. Within a week, he pleaded guilty to the drugs charge at Newcastle Crown Court.

In November, he was sentenced to eight years behind bars. Read the full story here. John Mclaughlin A man was jailed after attempting to climb into a flat using pallets as a ladder.

Police found John Mclaughlin's friend up a drain pipe during their failed attempt to gain access to the first-floor window of a community housing building in Slatyford. Newcastle Crown Court heard that when the pair were confronted by officers they claimed to have been locked out of the building. However, their story was blown by the CCTV cameras which showed the pair leaving the building just seconds earlier.

Mclaughlin originally pleaded not guilty to attempted burglary but changed his plea to guilty the day before the case was due to go to trial on August 15. His friend also pleaded guilty the following day and was sentenced to nine months in prison. In November, the 50-year-old, of Whitbeck Court, Slatyford, was also jailed.

He was sentenced to 54 weeks imprisonment of which he'll serve up to half, taking into account the time he has spent in custody. Here's the full story. Carl Blower A dangerous driver who knew he was being recalled to prison led police on a high-speed chase so he could say goodbye to his dying dad.

Carl Blower led police on a pursuit around County Durham on September 27 and hit speeds of up to 95mph. The 36-year-old drove through Newton Aycliffe and Ferryhill during the chase, and even continued on after police used a stinger device to pop his tyres. Durham Crown Court heard that at the time of the offences, Blower was being recalled to prison due to licence breaches regarding "relationships and drug use" and wanted to "say goodbye" to his terminally ill father before going back to jail.

He was also banned from driving and uninsured at the time. In November, Blower, of Raby Road, Ferryhill, Durham, appeared at the court to be sentenced for dangerous driving, driving whilst disqualified, failing to provide a sample and driving without insurance. He had pleaded guilty to the offences and was jailed for 14 months.

Read the full story here. Liam Doeg, Ian Kirtley A violent thug who threw bricks and a wheelie bin at police during disorder in Sunderland was jailed. Footage was shown in court of Liam Doeg, 33, taking part in multiple violent displays throughout Sunderland city centre on August 2.

He was captured throwing bricks, a wheelie bin and other items at police officers, as well as raiding a vape shop and stealing products. Doeg was arrested and charged with violent disorder and burglary at South Tyneside Magistrates' Court in the days following the disorder. The charges were later increased to riot after footage linked him to a number of incidents on the same evening.

In October, Doeg, of Tatham Street, Sunderland, pleaded guilty to riot and was remanded in custody until his sentencing hearing in November. He was given three years and eight months in prison. Ian Kirtley, 36, was sentenced to 21 months for violent disorder at Newcastle Crown Court as well for his part in the riot.

The court heard Kirtley was part of a group who tried to attack a mosque and encouraged people to attack officers as he filmed them on his phone. Read the full story here. Brian Gilby A rioter was jailed after he was caught carrying as many items as his "tracksuit bottoms would hold" after a vape store was looted.

Brian Gilby was part of a large crowd that attacked a police office during mass disorder in Sunderland on August 2 before he turned his distinctive T-shirt inside out and headed to a vape shop that had already been raided. Gilby was spotted by police as he walked away with stock from the store and had to be threatened with Taser "red dots" before he could be arrested. The 27-year-old, of Hendon Burn Avenue, Sunderland, was jailed for three years and four months at Newcastle Crown Court after he admitted riot.

Read the full story here. Paul Collins A deputy headteacher who sexually abused a teenage girl after giving her cocaine was jailed. Paul Collins was in the senior position at a South Tyneside school when he carried out a series of offences against a child.

A court heard he targeted his victim, who was not a pupil, in two incidents which have left her traumatised. Collins, 35, of Felton Drive, Forest Hall, North Tyneside, denied abusing the girl, but jurors convicted him of five offences and he was jailed for more than eight years at Newcastle Crown Court. Collins was found guilty of sexual activity with a child, two counts of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and supplying cocaine.

He admitted possessing extreme pornography. Here's the full court report. John Mason A wannabe "gangster rapper" sparked an armed police response after pointing a fake gun at a man during a road rage row.

John Mason was wearing a balaclava when he pointed an imitation firearm at a driver after both were involved in a minor accident this summer. After the terrified man drove off, he called the police, with the encounter sparking an armed response. When officers went to arrest Mason, he was seen carrying a "pistol", before he was Tasered.

A weapon was then found inside a basket in a child's room. Mason, of Coast Road, Wallsend, appeared at Durham Crown Court to be sentenced for two counts of possession of a firearm and one count of possessing a firearm when prohibited. He had pleaded guilty to the offences.

He was jailed for 32 months. Here's the full report. Thomas Kwan A GP was jailed for more than 31 years for trying to kill his mother's partner by injecting him with a fake Covid booster jab laced with poison.

Thomas Kwan was working as a doctor at a North East surgery when he hatched a sinister plot to murder Patrick O'Hara, who he saw as an obstacle to him receiving his inheritance as early as he wanted, should anything happen to his mum. Kwan disguised himself as a community nurse to carry out the audacious plot, which he had spent months meticulously planning, under the noses of his own mother and her long-term partner at their home in Newcastle city centre. Having tricked 71-year-old Mr O'Hara, with faked NHS letters, into believing he was a nurse attending to administer an injection to protect him, he instead jabbed him with a substance that caused a flesh-eating disease and left him in intensive care.

Kwan, 53, who admitted attempted murder, was jailed for 31 years and five months. Read the full story here. Stephen Todd A savage murderer who left his ex partner with 123 injuries and burnt her with a cigarette as she lay unconscious and dying was jailed for life.

Stephen Todd subjected vulnerable Melissa Eastick to repeated beatings in his home in Sunderland which left her fatally injured. Todd, who had been given a suspended prison sentence for assaulting Melissa weeks earlier and went on to admit her murder, was told he must serve at least 21 years and four months of a life sentence by a judge at Newcastle Crown Court. Read the full court report here.

Patricia Office One of Tyneside's most prolific thieves was jailed after she was caught in the act using an axe to break into an Aldi store. Patricia Office, a regular in the court dock, was given a suspended sentence for stealing in August and had already breached it once by committing further theft offences. And the 38-year-old proved she just couldn't stay out of trouble after her latest crime spree saw her making-off with goods from three shops and trying to break into a branch of Aldi.

The career crook, of North Shields, was spotted by a nearby resident using an axe to smash a window of the Forest Hall branch of the supermarket and the police were called. Office was then caught in the act by constables, Newcastle Magistrates' Court was told. She pleaded guilty to three shops thefts, attempted burglary and possession of offensive weapon.

The pleas also put her in breach the suspended sentence and she was jailed for a total of 43 weeks. Here's the full story. Xhestjan Llaposhi A huge cannabis farm worth more than £800,000 was busted when police found a live stream of it on its "mastermind's" phone.

Almost 2,000 plants growing in an industrial unit in Dunston, Gateshead, were spotted on Edison Sulanjaku's phone when police spotted him engaged in a suspicious exchange in Newcastle. That led to the discovery of the industrial-scale drugs factory and also a large amount of cultivated cannabis at a house in Sunderland. Sulanjaku and two other men from Albania were sentenced last year and now Xhestjan Llaposhi, who was spotted tending to the plants on the footage, has been locked up for his part in the offending.

Sulanjaku, described as the "mastermind" of the operation, Cela and Muca were dealt with previously for producing cannabis and Sulanjaku was also sentenced for possessing cannabis with intent to supply and Muca for being concerned in the supply of cannabis. Sulanjaku, 27, of North Station Avenue, Houghton-le-Spring, was jailed for four-and-a-half years, Muca, 23, of no fixed address, got 18 months and Cela, 15 of no fixed address, got 16 months. Now Llaposhi, who admitted producing cannabis, has been jailed for 15 months.

Read the full story here. Lee Mole An "entrenched paedophile" was jailed after entering into vile sex chats with an American man who was abusing his own child. Lee Mole was having depraved sex chats with a man in the USA over a messaging app, and incited the pervert to sexually abuse their own child.

The man would then send Mole and other paedophiles photographs of the sickening abuse. Mole, 53, who also shared a category A indecent image, was caught after the chats caught the attention of the United States Department of Homeland Security. Mole was also found in possession of category A, B and C indecent images.

In November, Mole, of Blackhall Colliery, County Durham, appeared at Durham Crown Court to be sentenced for three counts of making indecent images and one count of distributing an indecent image. He had pleaded guilty to the offences and was jailed for two years and eight months. Here's the full story.

John Hyseni An Albanian man who came to the UK illegally in a dinghy was jailed after he was caught looking after a cannabis farm. Police officers went to a house in Gateshead on October 2 after a report of a possible cannabis farm. Hyseni answered the door and was arrested.

A search of the premises revealed there were around 140 cannabis plants in three rooms upstairs. Officers estimated the plants were worth around £1,000 each per yield, meaning those recovered were worth around £140,000. Hyseni, 23, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to producing cannabis and was jailed for 16 months at Newcastle Crown Court.

Read the full story here. Adrian Wright A "calm and intent" murderer who brutally battered a dad-of-three to death with a baton as he lay in bed was jailed for life. Adrian Wright was a guest in the home where Allen Adeyemi Tejan had been staying when he launched a sickening and sustained attack with the weapon and tried to smother him with a pillow.

Newcastle Crown Court heard the "inexplicable" violence may have been triggered by Wright feeling disrespected hours earlier. Wright, 53, was told he must serve a minimum of 18 years and four months of a life sentence. Read the full court report here.

Mason Curley A drug-addicted burglar broke into the home of an elderly dementia sufferer and stole his wallet. Mason Curley had only been out of prison for two weeks and was on an electronic tag when he burgled the 81-year-old man's home in September this year. The sleeping victim woke up to find Curley in his bedroom before shouting at him to get out.

Curley fled the property with the man's wallet, which had £20 cash inside. He was later arrested as his GPS electronic tag showed he was in the area at the time of the break-in. Curley, of Luke Crescent, Murton, appeared at Durham Crown Court to be sentenced for burglary.

The 31-year-old had pleaded guilty to the offence. He was jailed for 32 months. Here's the full story.

Trevor Williamson A pensioner was jailed after justice caught up with him for sexually abusing a young boy in the 1980s. For decades, Trevor Williamson appeared to have got away with attacking a young lad when he was only five or six years old, after which he ordered him to keep quiet about it. Now 76-year-old Williamson, who was locked up in 2011 for abusing two other children, is finally paying the price for his actions as a younger man.

He was convicted of two counts of indecent assault following a trial earlier this year, one of which would now be classed as rape of a child under current legislation. Newcastle Crown Court heard the victim, now an adult, has suffered years of trauma as a result of what happened to him. Williamson, of Litchfield Terrace, Winlaton, Gateshead, was jailed for eight years.

Read the full story here. Ashav Singh A stalker bombarded a woman with threatening calls and sent her a video of him cutting his ear with a knife. Ashav Singh befriended a woman online and a friendship soon developed, with the kind woman even going on to support him by buying groceries and tidying up for him.

But the "solitary" 45-year-old caused concern when he continued to call the married woman, despite her telling him to stop. The woman eventually cut all contact with Singh, but he re-entered her life years later after he found out where she worked. He then began bombarding her and work colleagues with threatening calls.

Singh, of Northcote Street, Arthurs Hill, Newcastle, pleaded guilty to two counts of stalking. He was jailed for 38 months. Read the full story here.

Matthew Smith A man caused a "deep laceration" to a police officer's face after hiding a key between his knuckles and hitting him. Matthew Smith, 40, lunged at the police officer and attacked him when officers turned up to a home following reports of a domestic incident. The officer who was punched sustained a deep cut below his eye was lucky to have avoided being blinded.

Smith had to be Tasered and was eventually arrested by three officers following the attack. Before the incident, Smith had told them he hated the police "more than anyone on the planet". Smith, of Bradley Street, Easington Colliery, pleaded guilty to assaulting an emergency worker, possession of an offensive weapon, threats with an offensive weapon, criminal damage and a public order offence.

He was jailed for three years. Here's the full story. Michael Falcus and Michael Rice A drug-dealing duo who conspired to supply cocaine and cannabis across the North East were jailed for a combined total of 27 years.

Michael Falcus and Michael Rice worked together to profit from the illicit trade of the Class A and Class B substances between March and June 2020. The pair attempted to mask their offending through their use of 'Encrochat' encrypted messaging, but they soon became the focus of a Northumbria Police investigation. It emerged that Falcus organised deliveries of cocaine and cannabis into the region, with Rice working as his "trusted man" by storing cocaine and cash and acting as a courier.

The investigation found the pair co-ordinated the supply of 12 kilos of cocaine and eight kilos of cannabis, with a combined value in excess of £400,000. Both men were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs in April 2021, with searches conducted at their homes. Falcus, 55, of Manor Drive, Benton, was charged with one count of conspiracy to Class A drugs, and one count of conspiracy to supply Class B drugs.

Rice, 59, of Harriet Street, Blaydon, was charged with one count of conspiracy to supply cocaine, and one count of conspiracy to supply cannabis. Both men were found guilty by a jury on all charges at Newcastle Crown Court in August, and appeared before the same court in November for sentencing. Falcus was jailed for 17 years, while Rice was handed a 10-year-term behind bars.

Here's the full story. Paul Bolam A brazen crook walked straight to a nearby shop after being released from custody in order to steal. Paul Bolam, who was also on bail for biting a police officer at the time, was let out of Forth Banks Police Station following his arrest and headed just around the corner to Sainsbury's, where he helped himself to more than £130-worth of food and drinks.

The 42-year-old was spotted by a store worker and, as a result, was back behind bars just an hour after being released. This time, the serial pest, formerly of Sunderland but now of no fixed abode, was kept in a cell overnight and appeared at Newcastle Magistrates' Court in custody to plead guilty to shop theft. He also admitted a further shoplifting offence, assaulting an emergency worker and possession of cannabis.

He was jailed for for 16 weeks. Here's the full story. Alistair Paylor A drug smuggler was caught trying to smuggle £8.

5m of cocaine through Newcastle Airport. Alistair Paylor returned from a trip to Mexico arranged by underworld figures with a huge stash of cocaine crammed into a suitcase. Newcastle Crown Court heard he had agreed to act as a courier to pay off his debts.

Paylor, of High Northgate, Darlington, pleaded guilty to the fraudulent evasion of the prohibition on the importation of cocaine and was jailed for six years. He told the probation service he had been asked to act as a courier to pay off drug debts. He said others arranged for him to travel to Mexico, where his suitcase was packed with the drugs.

Here's the full story. Robert English, Mark McKeswick Two men from Newcastle were jailed alongside their Teesside accomplice for more than 47 years after running a drugs ring. Robert English, from Throckley, was the mastermind of the operation and ran a gardening supplies business in Northumberland while searching for a handgun with a silencer for Nico Easton, 31.

English was jailed for 18 years and eight months, Easton for 15 years and six months. Mark McKeswick, 47, who cut the heroin and added bulking agents in the "drugs depot" of his Muswell Hill home, was jailed for 13 years and three months. All three men were convicted of conspiracy to supply a class A drug and conspiracy to acquire a firearm without a certificate, by a jury after a trial at Teesside Crown Court.

English was also convicted of the possession of criminal property; he failed to turn up to the trial during the last week, and he was later arrested and pleaded guilty to failing to surrender to custody. In addition to the drugs and firearms offences, McKeswick, from Newcastle, was convicted of the possession of criminal property; being concerned in the production of heroin; and the possession of heroin and amphetamine, with intent to supply. Read the full story here.

Iain Evans A dad who let his friend and family stay in his home in their hour of need was repaid for his kindness with a terrifying knife attack when he asked them to remove their belongings. When Iain Evans and his partner and children were left without a roof over their heads, his good pal allowed them to stay in his flat. When that arrangement ended, he had repeatedly requested they take their property out of his home.

Matters came to a head on August 5 when the men's partners argued on the phone. Evans, fuelled by cocaine and alcohol, then went to their home armed with a knife and launched an attack which left the victim fearing death. Evans, who was originally charged with attempted murder, admitted wounding with intent, and that plea was accepted by prosecutors.

He was jailed for six years. Here's the full court report. Trevor English A public toilet pervert who secretly recorded boys and men using urinals was jailed.

A total of 35 males were covertly recorded by Trevor English at venues including the Metrocentre, Centre for Life and various supermarkets in the region, including a Morrisons in North Tyneside . The identify of the victims is unknown but two of them were under 18, including one who was aged between 12 and 14, Newcastle Crown Court heard. English was also found to have hundreds of indecent images of children when his devices were examined.

He pleaded guilty to 18 offences - 13 of voyeurism, one of outraging public decency, one of taking an indecent image of a child and three of making indecent images. English, 44, formerly of Walker and latterly of Georges Road, Elswick, Newcastle, was jailed for two-and-a-half years. Read the full story here.

Seow Heng A drugs mule caught trying to import more than 15 kilos of cannabis through Newcastle Airport was jailed. It was on July 21 that Seow Heng arrived at Newcastle Airport on a flight from Dubai. At around 1.

43pm, Border Force officers were monitoring passengers when they stopped the Malaysian national and quizzed him. When his suitcase was put through an X-ray machine, this raised further suspicions and Heng was asked more questions about his travel and whether he had packed his own bags and if anyone had asked him to bring anything into the UK. Entry was forced to one of his suitcases after the combination he provided failed to unlock it.

Inside, they found a pink towel covering two large bags containing vacuum-sealed packages containing a herbal material. One bin bag contained ten packages and the second 18 packages and they had the words "purple runtz" on them. Tests revealed they contained 15.

7 kilos of cannabis. Heng, 48, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to being knowingly concerned in carrying cannabis into the UK with intent to evade the prohibition on doing so. He was jailed for 12 months.

Here's the full story. David Moore A thug who left his friend with a brain bleed and fractured skull with a single "inexplicable" punch was jailed. David Moore launched the drunken attack outside a pub in Northumberland after an altercation with the victim which was caught on CCTV.

A court heard the man posed no threat to Moore when he landed a heavy unprovoked punch, causing him to fall and hit his head on the road. Moore, 33, of Straffen Court, Amble, pleaded guilty to inflicting GBH and was jailed for 21 months. Here's the full story.

James Aspin A TikTok user was jailed for posting a hateful rant during which he said "we are going to burn down every mosque in Newcastle". James Aspin posted a video lasting almost four minutes at a time of high tension in the country in August when a number of riots and protests were taking place. He also made "despicable" comments about asylum seekers, blamed followers of Islam for crime and said "Churchill would have a fit".

Newcastle Crown Court heard Aspin, 34, of Briardale Road, Blyth, had 921 followers at the time and his posts were visible to everyone. Police went to Aspin's home and arrested him. Aspin pleaded guilty to distributing a recording intending to stir up religious hatred and was jailed for 20 months.

Here's the full story. Jordan Cuthill A criminal stole a pregnant woman's car, robbed a café, and caused a car crash all on the same morning. Jordan Cuthill carried out an early-morning crime-spree lasting around two hours in June, which involved him stealing two women's cars and robbing a café.

The 33-year-old - who had taken a "significant quantity of drugs" - drove one of the stolen cars to Washington, but smashed into another vehicle as he was driving on the opposite side of the road. Cuthill, of no fixed address, appeared at Durham Crown Court to be sentenced for offences of robbery, aggravated vehicle taking, possession of a blade, and driving whilst disqualified. He had pleaded guilty to the offences.

He was given a 10 and-a-half year extended prison sentence, three years of which will be on licence. Read the full report here. Michael Murray A would-be robber was jailed after he pulled a knife and a hammer on two shopkeepers in Consett.

Michael Murray attended the stores in early September and threatened both staff in an attempt to steal money from the tills. On both occasions, Murray used a weapon to threaten the shopkeepers, waving a hammer in the first attempted robbery and a 12-inch knife in the second. The victim of the second incident refused to hand over the cash and quickly called police, which prompted Murray to flee.

Officers caught up with Murray as he attempted to run off along a woodland track and arrested him on suspicion of two counts of attempted robbery and two counts of possession of a bladed article. The 21-year-old appeared at Durham Crown Court and was sentenced to three years in prison. Here's the full story.

Liam Liddle A knife-wielding raider attacked a man in his own home after wrongly believing he was related to someone he blamed for murdering his dad. Liam Liddle, whose father was killed in 2011, mistakenly thought the victim was a family member of a man who was accused and acquitted of murdering his father. Newcastle Crown Court heard in May 2022, Liddle and accomplice Michaela Hart went to the man's home in Jarrow, South Tyneside .

Hart, who knew the man, knocked on the door and spoke to him briefly, while Liddle hid out of sight. Prosecutor Michelle Clarke told the court: "Liddle comes out of his hiding place and barges his way into the property. The complainant describes Mr Liddle trying to attack him with a knife and Mr Liddle threatening to stab him.

The complainant had to grab Liddle's arm to protect himself." Miss Clarke said the victim was eventually bundled out of his own front door and he ran off to get help. When police attended he was "very scared, upset, really shaken up" and his home was ransacked, with property including a watch, wallet and games console missing.

Liddle, 30, of Windermere Crescent, South Shields, admitted aggravated burglary and knife possession on the basis he had feared the victim may attack him when he agreed to accompany Hart to collect some belongings from him. Hart, 35, of Brisbane Avenue, South Shields, admitted burglary but denied she had gone to the house to collect any possessions and said it was Liddle who had asked her to help him that night. Prosecutors accepted she did not know Liddle was carrying a knife.

Liddle was jailed for seven years and two months. Hart was sentenced to 14 months, suspended for two years. Here's the full story.

Declan McKenna Raiders armed with a sawn-off shotgun and machete left a householder terrified after luring him to the door with his former friend. The victim answered the door early one morning to find Declan McKenna there, apparently apologetic after an earlier falling out. But his presence was a ruse to help two other men storm the house.

The victim was assaulted with the gun and stabbed during the raid as the pair searched for valuables. The duo, who had their faces covered, have never been identified by the police but McKenna was jailed for the role he played. McKenna, 35, of Laycock Gardens, Seghill, was originally charged with aggravated burglary but prosecutors accepted his guilty plea to the lesser offence of burglary.

He was jailed for 19 months. Here's the full court report. James Rae A drunk plane passenger who wreaked havoc on a TUI flight heading to Turkey was jailed.

James Rae, 29, boarded the flight for Antalya at Glasgow but disrupted the flight with his drunken behaviour that saw him using foul language, using a homophobic slur towards staff and spilling a drink over a child. Newcastle Crown Court heard Rae's behaviour became so disruptive that the plane was forced to divert to Newcastle International Airport. Rae, from Falkirk, Scotland, pleaded to being drunk on an aircraft and was sentenced to eight months in prison.

Here's the full story. Daniel Walmsley A cocaine dealer went straight back to his old ways within weeks of being released from prison for supplying drugs. Daniel Walmsley had been locked up in May 2022 for supplying cocaine and was released from that sentence in April this year.

But when police raided his home in July, they found evidence he was selling cocaine and crack cocaine. In November, the 33-year-old, of Weardale House, Washington, was given another prison sentence at Newcastle Crown Court. For the latest offending, he admitted possessing cocaine with intent to supply and was jailed for three years and eight months.

Here's the full story. George Bellwood A depraved paedophile who raped a child in her sleep faces a 21-year prison sentence. George Bellwood raped the child numerous times over a lengthy period.

He initially denied eight counts of rape, three of sexual assault and two of causing a child to engage in sexual activity - but he later changed his plea and admitted the vile offences. He also admitted charges of making and distributing indecent images of children, and of possession of extreme pornography involving animals. Bellwood, 32, was sentenced at Durham Crown Court on November 22.

He will serve a 21-year sentence and a further four years on extended licence. Here's the full story. Harvey Dawson A cocaine trafficker calling himself Misty Buffalo was exposed as being involved in the "wicked trade" when police busted an encrypted communications network.

Like many others involved in criminal activity, Harvey Dawson thought his messages on the EncroChat platform would never be seen by police. But when the system was infiltrated, his illicit activities were revealed. Newcastle Crown Court heard the communications showed he was engaged in the organisation and delivery of a kilo of cocaine for £45,000, which was dispatched from London to the North East.

He also asked for samples of ketamine and tried to source 10 kilos of it but that did not go through, the court heard. Dawson, 28, formerly of Gosforth but whose address was given as a pub in North Shields, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply three kilos of cocaine, one of which was actually delivered and ten kilos of ketamine, which did not go through. He was jailed for five years and two months.

Here's the full story. William Ions A coke supplier who fled to Tenerife to avoid being arrested has now been locked up. William Ions was snared after detectives used intelligence from encrypted messages to link him to the supply of Class A drugs in the North East.

The 53-year-old, of Wills Mews, in Heaton, Newcastle, had suspicions he was due to be arrested and fled to Tenerife to try and evade police, according to the North East Regional Organised Crime Unit (NEROCU). However, NEROCU officers, with help from the National Crime Agency (NCA) and Spanish authorities, were able to get him extradited back to the UK in July. Once back on British soil Ions was arrested and charged.

He pleaded guilty to five counts of conspiracy to supply cocaine and six counts of money laundering at Newcastle Crown Court in August. And in November, he was sentenced to 12 years behind bars. Here's the full story.

Benjamin English A paedophile was jailed for 15 years after being found guilty of raping a girl. Benjamin English, who was previously known as Steven Watts, initially pleaded guilty to inciting sexual activity with three girls and was given a suspended sentence. English was later jailed for five years for raping a girl five times and following this offence, he changed his name by deed poll to English.

But after struggling with the abuse she had suffered, one of the original three victims further reported being raped by the 58-year-old, a former Army Cadet Colour Sergeant in Peterlee. English, of Middlesbrough, denied the offence but was found guilty by a jury at Durham Crown Court and was sentenced to 15 years in prison. Here's the full story.

Steven Patterson A paedophile who raped and abused a young boy was snared when police were able to identify the victim after seizing his devices for indecent images offences. Steven Patterson had amassed a sickening library of thousands of child abuse images and had also posed as a 13-year-old girl and distributed indecent images. It was then revealed he had been sexually abusing a child in real life.

The 27-year-old pervert, of Briarsyde, Benton, North Tyneside, was jailed for 15 years for a string of sex offences, including rape, sexual activity with a child and indecent images charges. Here's the full court report. Join our Court and Crime WhatsApp community for all the latest court and crime news sent direct to your phone.

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