JUSTICE is continuing, in a reduced form, at the region’s court centres, in line with social distancing guidance.
Sittings at Durham Crown Court, like many smaller court centres round the country, are temporarily suspended, with a handful of its prison to court video link cases being switched to Newcastle Crown Court each day.
Newcastle’s Quayside complex, as a ‘priority’ court during the covid-19 crisis, is dealing with a reduced number of cases, all via video link, as is Teesside Crown Court.
In one Durham case sentencing hearing at Newcastle, a Stanley man was jailed for a total of ten months.
Philip Wayman, 42, of Pine Street, admitted burglary, taking a Samsung display watch and six Samsung Galaxy display phones from the EE store in Silver Street, Durham, on June 15, last year.
He also admitted possessing two bladed articles and a class C drug on the same day.
Judge James Adkin also ordered forfeiture and destruction of the knives and drugs.
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