Man arrested in Ushaw Moor after threatening to share intimate photos

County Durham man threatened to publish intimate photographs <i>(Image: The Northern Echo)</i>
County Durham man threatened to publish intimate photographs (Image: The Northern Echo)
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A man who threatened to publish intimate photographs of a woman following a row has walked free from court.

Karl Sykes made the threat moments after they had been involved in an argument where he also pushed a woman into her car seat.

Teesside Crown Court heard how the 50-year-old had spent several weeks on remand in prison following his arrest in Ushaw Moor, County Durham.

Deborah Smithies, prosecuting, said as the defendant threatened to share the images with the victim’s male work colleague.

Sykes, of High Street, Birstall, pleaded guilty to common assault and threatening to share photograph or film of person in intimate state on August 22 last year.

Judge Richard Bennett told the defendant he was imposing a suspended sentence due to the time he had already spent on remand.


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He said: “I have read your pre-sentence report, it is not a happy document – you have not helped yourself at all by speaking to the probation officer in the way that you did.

“It seems to me that you have a lack of insight into your behaviour but significantly in your case you had been in custody for two months on remand awaiting sentence before being granted bail.”

Sykes was sentenced to an 18-month community order with 25 rehabilitation activity requirement days attached.

He was made subject to a five-year restraining order.

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