RAPISTS, fraudsters, drug addicts and a knife-wielding drunk were among the people to face justice at Teesside Crown Court.

A CHILD rapist has been jailed for eight years for carrying out a catalogue of sexual abuse on a youngster.

Andrew Rutter performed a number of sex acts on the victim whilst encouraging them to carry out sexual activity with him.

The Northern Echo: Andrew RutterAndrew Rutter

Teesside Crown Court heard how the 41-year-old mad a full confession to police when he was confronted with his deviant behaviour.

Rutter, of Goldrill Gardens, Redcar, pleaded guilty to four offences, sexual assault on an under 13-year-old child; engage in sexual activity with a child under 13; sexual assault on a child under 13 by penetration; and oral rape.

A man who carried out the 'mean' spirited theft of £7,000 from his own grandmother's bank account has avoided being jailed.

Craig Bailey dipped into her bank account repeatedly over a seven month period and stole £7,000 from the pensioner.

His offending only came to light after it was noticed that a significant amount of money was missing from the victim's bank saving.

The 37-year-old, of Highmead Walk, Middlesbrough, pleaded guilty to one charge of theft.

Judge Deborah Goodwin sentenced Bailey to 12 months in custody, suspended from two years.

A serial shoplifter with a 'dreadful record' has been jailed for threatening a security guard while trying to steal two bottles of Jack Daniel's.

Michael Riley cut the security tags off the whiskey bottles before trying to leave Asda in Stockton with the spirit hidden in his clothing.

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A security guard recognised Riley as a shoplifter who had stolen two other bottles of the American bourbon five days earlier and confronted him.

In a victim impact statement, the security guard said: "I could have lost my life over a bottle of whiskey. This is the fifth incident of this nature when I have been fearful for my and my colleagues' safety."

Riley, now of Moore Street, Blackpool, pleaded guilty to threatening behaviour with an offensive weapon, common assault and two charges of shoplifting.

Judge Stephen Ashurst jailed him for 15 months.

A drunk who was twice caught carrying bladed weapons in public has been jailed for 12 months.

Mark McCartney was first arrested after police were called following reports of a man wandering the streets of Middlesbrough carrying a knife and covered in blood.

When police arrived on Sandringham Road they discovered McCartney in a heavily inebriated state at 9.35am in the morning, Teesside Crown Court heard.

The 40-year-old had a Taser pointed at his chest before finally taking his hand out of his pocket, where a craft knife was recovered on November 1 last year.

McCartney, of Wetherby Green, Ormesby, Middlesbrough, was arrested again at around 6pm on June 17 this year when he was spotted carrying a nine-inch knife around whilst drunk in the Ormesby area.

He pleaded guilty to three charges of possession of a bladed article in respect of the November incident and a further similar charge from June this year.

Judge Stephen Ashurst jailed McCartney for a a total of 12 months for both incidents telling him that members of the public reported him to the police due to his 'bizarre' behaviour.