Here are some of the people who faced justice at Teesside Crown Court last month.
The Northern Echo takes a look at the murderer, the killer, the robbers, thieves and violent thugs who have been locked up.
JEALOUS HUSBAND
The estranged husband who stabbed Sally Turner 68 times in her daughter’s home has been locked up after he launched the brutal attack when he became ‘obsessed’ with her sexual activity.
Harry Turner was branded ‘selfish’ for the sustained attack on his wife after he learned she was having an affair with a taxi driver.
The 50-year-old suffered a catalogue of injuries in the sustained assault with Turner having to use a second knife after damaging the blade of a kitchen knife due to the ferocity of the attack.
Mrs Turner was described as a loving grandmother as Judge James Adkin sentenced the 54-year-old postal worker to life in prison with a minimum term of 17 years and 120 days.
Turner was unanimously convicted of Sally Turner’s murder in her daughter’s house on Cuthbert Avenue, Durham, following a trial at Teesside Crown Court.
The judge said: “You had launched a brutal attack on her, stabbing her with a large kitchen knife until that broke and then going back to the kitchen, selecting another knife and continuing to attack her."
VIOLENT KILLER
A mother has spoken of her heartbreak as Mark Robinson's killer is locked up for ten years.
Mark Robinson died more than a year after he suffered a brutal beating at the hands of Raymond Whincup over a row about a £20 debt.
The 40-year-old suffered catastrophic head injuries when he was knocked unconscious while he was staying in a friend’s flat in Redcar.
Whincup was heavily intoxicated when he attacked Mr Robinson in the early hours of July 28, 2020, Teesside Crown Court heard.
He was jailed for ten years after admitting the manslaughter of his victim midway through his murder trial.
Speaking after the hearing, Mr Robinson’s family said: “Regardless of the indictment we all know that had it not been for the medical treatment Mark received on 28th July 2020, he would have died that morning in Station Road having suffered traumatic brain injury because of a vicious, sustained and unprovoked assault from Raymond Whincup."
A medical expert told jurors how Mr Robinson had suffered two fractures to his jaw, two fractures to bones in his spinal column and three broken ribs.
He was visiting Mr Gregory at his flat when Whincup and Lewis Skelton turned up before the three of them headed up the accused’s upstairs flat to spend their time drinking.
Another witness Lewis Skelton, who has since died, told his mother that Whincup had ‘knocked out’ Mr Robinson before they fled the scene together.
Mr Robinson never fully recovered from his injuries and died in August 2021.
PERVERT SNARED
A pervert who arranged to meet a 14-year-old girl for sex was caught by online paedophile hunters who had been posing as the teenager.
Adam Gruter turned up at the KFC in Darlington in the hope of meeting the teenager but was confronted by members of the Child Online Safety Team who filmed the confrontation face-off.
Teesside Crown Court heard how a woman posing as the teenager had spent several days speaking with the defendant online before the conversation turned sexual and he sent her an indecent picture of himself.
Emma Atkinson, prosecuting, said the defendant had sent a number of messages on WhatsApp after befriending the decoy on Facebook.
The 43-year-old, of Elm Park Gardens, London, pleaded guilty to inciting or causing a child to engage in sexual activity and attempting to meet a child following grooming.
He added: “During the exchanges... you demonstrated your intention to carry out this through to a sexual meeting by booking a hotel room.”
Gruter was also made subject to a ten-year sexual harm prevention order and will have to sign the sex offenders’ register for the same period of time.
VIOLENT BULLY
A violent thug who punched, kicked, and strangled, a woman in her own house has been locked up for the brutal, sustained assault.
Jonathan Dobson launched the unprovoked attack on his new partner when he got drunk while helping her to build a new bed.
The 40-year-old left his victim too terrified to return to her Darlington home where the violent assault took place, Teesside Crown Court heard.
In a victim impact statement, the woman said she was scared that he was going to kill her as she blacked out while he was strangling her.
The violence outburst started when the victim tried to get Dobson to leave her home when he became agitated and placed her hands on him to guide him out of the front door.
The judge heard how the defendant continued to kick and punch his victim while she was on the ground before strangling her again.
Dobson, of Acacia Street, Darlington, was found guilty of assault occasioning actual bodily harm at magistrates court and sent to Crown Court for sentencing.
Kelleigh Lodge, mitigating, said her client’s mental health had suffered following his father’s suicide and he had turned to drink and drugs to cope.
Recorder Andrew Latimer sentenced Dobson to 28 months in custody and made him subject to a seven-year restraining order.
MASKED ROBBER
A masked armed robber who battered a shopkeeper before throwing a stolen till at a police officer’s head has been locked up.
Matthew Taylor walked into Takhar Stores armed with a knife before forcing his way behind the counter and demanding the woman hand over cash.
The brave shopkeeper refused before the 27-year-old punched her to the face and pushed her forcefully into a pile of boxes on several occasions.
CCTV from inside the Thornaby store showed the defendant terrorising the woman while a colleague is trying force him out of the shop by hitting him with a sweeping brush.
In a victim personal statement, she said the robbery had left her feeling anxious while working in the shop she had owned for more than 20 years.
She said: “This was a pre-planned, he knew what he was doing and targeted this business because he knew only women were working there.”
Kelleigh Lodge, mitigating, said the father-of-two had shown genuine remorse for the robbery and for the injuries he caused to his victims.
Recorder Andrew Latimer sentenced Taylor to a total of five years and six months for all offences.
FIRE STARTER
A row between two tenants in a block of flats resulted in one setting a fire in the other’s room while he was in a ‘mental health’ crisis.
Mark Armit took advantage when the victim left the flats and headed into Darlington town centre, Teesside Crown Court heard.
The 42-year-old entered his rivals flat and started a fire on the sofa and in a bin before returning to his own flat.
Rachel Masters, prosecuting, said the alarm was raised when the victim returned to his flat to discover the property filled with smoke and fires smouldering in the bin and on a sofa on October 8 last year.
When Armit eventually left the flats, he was carrying a kitchen knife and began to racially abuse one the police officers, the court heard.
Armit, of Montrose Street, Darlington, pleaded guilty to arson being reckless as to whether he endangered life, possession of a bladed article and racially aggravated harassment.
He was also convicted of breaching a suspended sentence imposed for a commercial premises burglary.
Martin Towers, mitigating, said his client was in the grip of a mental health crisis at the time when he started the fires.
Judge Stephen Ashurst accepted the defendant’s mental health issues had contributed to his offending as he jailed him for a total of three years and six months.
ONLINE PERVERT
A pervert who shared sickening videos of young children being sexually abused and possessing a copy of the ‘paedophile handbook’ has been locked up.
Police raided the Teesside home of Alan Willis following a tip-off from the National Crime Agency after his online activity roused their interest.
A search of his home resulted in the seizure of a mobile phone where specialist officers recovered more than 200 videos of children being sexually abused, with one lasting for around 35 minutes.
Teesside Crown Court heard how the 57-year-old had downloaded 124 Category A files; 52 files of Category B; and a further 47 Category C files.
Rachel Masters, prosecuting, said the police found evidence of Willis sharing some of the videos with other perverts using the online messenger service Telegram.
The forensic examination of the defendant’s phone also showed how he had shared more than 20 videos with two other people over the encrypted network between July 1 and July 22 last year.
Willis, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to making indecent images of children in Categories A, B, and C, as well as a charge of distributing child abuse images and possession of a ‘paedophile manual’.
John Nixon, mitigating, said his client had lost his family and his good reputation following his admissions.
Judge Timothy Stead sentenced Willis to a total of two years for all offences telling him that custody was the only option available to him.
Willis was also made subject to a ten-year sexual harm prevention order and told he must sign on the sex offenders’ register for the same period of time.
DRUNKEN THUG
A drunken thug who twice strangled his long-term partner in an alcohol-fuelled attack has been locked up.
Sean Bradley was drinking with a friend and his partner in his Darlington home when he flew into a drunken rage and violently attacked her.
Teesside Crown Court heard how the 49-year-old destroyed his ex-partner’s phone before smashing up the house they shared in November last year.
Nigel Soppitt, prosecuting, said the defendant’s victim became concerned about his ‘intimidating’ behaviour after she found him and the friend sprawled on the floor and moved to anther room in the house.
The court heard how Bradley followed her into the other room before launching his violent attack on her.
Bradley, now of Highland Gardens, Shildon, pleaded guilty to two charges of non-fatal strangulation and a further charge of criminal damage.
Representing himself in court, he said: “I’m ashamed to be here before you today. There’s no excuse for what I have done.”
Recorder Harry Vann jailed the defendant for a total of 20 months for all offences.
“This was a devastating event for your victim,” he said. “On November 22, whilst in significant drink, you embarked on 30 minutes of violence and strangled her twice.
“You also destroyed a significant of property inside her home.”
Bradley was also issued with a five-year restraining order to protect the victim.
CHILD ABUSER
A pensioner paedophile has been jailed for sexually abusing a young schoolgirl before telling her he would be ‘killed’ if she told anyone about it.
John Dawson was branded a ‘monster’ after he carried out his vile attacks on the youngster last year and bravely, she plucked up the courage to tell her parents despite the pervert’s mind games.
Teesside Crown Court heard how the 81-year-old kissed the child before sexually assaulting her.
Jane Waugh, prosecuting, said the girl told her father what had happened to her and the police were called.
In a victim impact statement, the child’s mother said Dawson’s sickening attack had left her family devastated and called Dawson a ‘monster’.
She wrote: “How do I put into words what you have to me and my family? You have hurt my daughter and you have done something to her that we will never be able to forgive you for.”
Dawson, of Owton Manor Lane, Hartlepool, pleaded guilty to two charges of digital penetration of a child under 13 and a further charge of sexual assault on a child under 13.
“Any case of sexual violence is a tragedy, even more so when the victim is a young child,” he said.
KNIFEPOINT ROBBERY
Two thugs who carried out a knifepoint robbery of a teenager and a man while they were fishing have been locked up for the terrifying attack.
Jay Bryson and Brandon Dalkin stole a £600 gold ring and an iPhone when they targeted the pair while they were relaxing at some fishing ponds in Stillington.
Teesside Crown Court heard how the older man handed over his mobile phone in an attempt to distract the pair while they were threatening the teenager with a knife.
Peter Sabiston, prosecuting, told the judge how Bryson had also knocked a man out with a brick when he was drinking in his garden before hitting a woman who tried to intervene.
Describing the robbery, Mr Sabiston said both victims were terrified when Dalkin pulled out a knife and demanded the teenager handover the gold ring while threatening to ‘slash him up’ on February 18, 2019.
Bryson and Dalkin both pleaded guilty to two charges of robbery, the court heard.
Bryson, of Hive Close, also pleaded guilty to wounding a man with intent and assault following the incident on June 9, 2021.
Victoria Smith-Swain, representing the 28-year-old, said that attack took place on the day of his grandmother’s funeral.
And David Lamb KC, representing 23-year-old Dalkin, said his client’s brother had died three weeks before the robbery and had been struggling to come to terms with his loss.
Bryson was jailed for a total of nine years and one month while Dalkin was sentenced to six years and eight months.
DRUNKEN BURGLARS
A wheelchair using burglar and his accomplice have been locked up after causing £20,000 worth of damage to a bar during a break in.
Michael Flanagan was caught on CCTV dragging himself around the floor inside Spensley’s Emporium while Sam Puckrin was seen to wandering around with stolen bottle of alcohol.
Teesside Crown Court heard how a third alleged accomplice is due to stand trial at a later date following the burglary on October 13, 2021.
The pair also admitted burgling a house in Middlesbrough where Puckrin forced entry and ransacked the property while Flanagan remained outside the property on Tennyson Street before loading his wheelchair with stolen goods.
Emma Atkinson, prosecuting, said the victims of the house burglary on August 8, 2020, were left devastated by the loss of £3,000 worth of goods and items of sentimental value.
Puckrin, of Letitia Street, Middlesbrough, pleaded guilty to burglary of a dwelling and burglary of a commercial premises.
Robert Mochrie, representing the 44-year-old, said his client had been benefiting from his ‘enforced sobriety’ while on remand.
While Flanagan, who now lives in London, pleaded guilty to the same two charges as well as assault on an emergency worker, possession of cannabis and a bail act offence.
The court heard that Flanagan became involved in an altercation with a police officer, on November 9, 2020, when the officer was leaving Middlesbrough police station and he saw him ‘kicking out at a stationary car’.
The 50-year-old became aggressive and as the officer got hold of his wheelchair – he hit him in the face and pulled his mask off. He was later found with a small amount of cannabis.
"You both committed another burglary at Spensley's Emporium. You, Mr Flanagan were captured rolling around on the floor, carrying a bottle."
Puckrin was jailed for two years while his co-accused Flanagan was locked up for two years and 11 months.
We'll have another round-up for you next month.
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