Latest Offenders Gateshead

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A man sexually assaulted a sleeping woman who had taken pity on him and allowed him to stay at her home.

Tony Potter was kindly invited to stay at the woman's home after she believed him to be struggling with his mental health. But after a night of drinking, the woman woke up from sleeping after feeling pain and realised she was being sexually assaulted.

After Potter refused to stop the attack, the woman was forced to strike him in the face with a fork. She then accused him of raping her, but Potter laughed it off and "made light of things".

Potter, 41, denied the offence but was later found guilty of two counts of assault by penetration following a trial. On Monday, he appeared at Newcastle Crown Court via link from HMP Durham to be sentenced.

The court heard that Potter, of Lobley Hill Road, Gateshead, put something on social media which made the woman believe he was struggling with his mental health and was "in a bad place". The woman then reached out and offered to meet up.

Liam O'Brien, prosecuting, said: "They spent several hours socialising together at a house. On one evening both parties consumed alcohol and Valium and then went to sleep."

In the morning, the woman was suddenly woken by a "painful sensation" and realised Potter was sexually assaulting her. Mr O'Brien continued: "She sought to get him off but he wouldn't let go. In desperation, she noticed a Pot Noodle cup with a fork nearby. She took hold of it and struck the defendant in the face. She then accused the defendant of raping her.

"He treated matters as if they were a joke and told her she was a heavy sleeper and he had been biting her to try and wake her up but it hadn't worked. He sought to make light of things."

Potter later left the woman's home and she reported the incident to police. In a statement, she said the sex assault left her suffering from flashbacks and struggled to sleep.

The court was told Potter had 29 previous convictions for 61 offences, including an attempted robbery in 2018 where he tried to take a person's car while fleeing from police after attacking a man in Newcastle Central Library. He had no previous convictions for sex offences.

Peter Schofield, defending, said that following the sex offence, Potter moved away from the North East and attended a 12-step programme in order to deal with his alcohol and drug misuse issues. He said: "He has gained qualifications as a forklift truck driver and passed his full driving test.

"He has obtained work in the Blackburn area for a delivery firm in an attempt to put the past behind him." Mr Schofield added that Potter had not committed any offences since 2020.

Sentencing Potter, Judge Penny Moreland jailed him for seven years and imposed a 10 year restraining order. He will also be on the sex offender's register for life.

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A North East man has been handed a life sentence after being found guilty of rape and sexual assault against three children.

Ian Tague, 41, from Gateshead, has been jailed for a minimum of 20 years after being sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court on Friday (May 12).

Tague had been charged with 25 counts of rape and sexual assault against three children.

He had been found guilty by a jury last May at the same court and remanded in custody.

He must serve a minimum of 20 years behind bars before being considered for parole, and was made to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register for life and prevented from ever contacting his victims.

Sergeant Nicola Wade of Northumbria Police’s Child and Adult Protection Unit said: “Tague is a monster – there’s no other word for him. He is a danger to children and I am so thankful to the exceptionally brave victim  who spoke out against him.

“Thanks to their bravery, we were able to identify other victims, who then bravely spoke out themselves, and build a strong case against vile Tague.

“Tague has undoubtedly robbed them of their innocence but I hope they grow up knowing that what happened to them was never their fault, they did not deserve it and that they have shown incredible resilience.

"Thanks to them, Tague has been exposed for the predator he is, removed from society and will forever more be known as a vile paedophile.

“I truly hope this sentence gives the survivors and their families a sense of justice and comfort and they can begin to look to the future.

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A rapist who attacked two lone women on the same night has been sent back to prison - six months after being released.

Bobby Barclay was just 17 years old when he committed two violent sex offences within two hours of each other on the streets of Newcastle. During the first offence, he abused a 52-year-old unconscious woman in a back alley in Gosforth.

The teenager, formally of Gateshead, then followed a 25-year-old woman out of Newcastle city centre and threatened to stab her before brutally raping her in Exhibition Park.

Barclay committed the offences in June 2015 after drinking and taking legal highs. He admitted rape, sexual assault and theft and was sent to a young offender institution for seven years and three months, with an extended licence until 2028.

Teesside Crown Court heard on Monday morning how he was released on licence in October last year, placed on probation in the Cleveland area and made subject to a sexual harm prevention order and notification requirements.

Barclay, now 25, had registered a mobile phone with police and told them that he used the alias 'GeordieBobby' for his Facebook and Instagram accounts.

However, during a visit January this year, an officer seized a new mobile phone which he had been using. They discovered he had been using TikTok under the name 'Bobbybarc' and Snapchat under the name 'Bobby_B22815'.

Jenny Hague, prosecuting, told the court in Middlesbrough: "Neither of these had been registered with the police, which he was required to do.

"When the officer attended and went to speak to him in respect of that he was in the process of donning a rucksack and intending to abscond because he thought he was about to be recalled by probation."

Barclay, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to two counts of breaching the terms of a notification requirement.

Gary Wood, defending, told the court how he had pleaded guilty during the first hearing at magistrates' court. He said the crimes he committed were not "sophisticated" and that the names were not particularly "discreet".

Mr Wood added: "There's nothing more sinister that's come about as a result of the investigation."

Recorder Aisha Wadoodi told Barclay, who appeared in court via a video link to HMP Durham, that he had received a "very considerable sentence" in 2015 for sexual offences.

She said: "You were released on licence in October 22. There were conditions and terms imposed. You clearly understood them because you registered your phone."

She sentenced Barclay, previously of Edgeware Road, Deckham, to 12 months behind bars.

Chronicle Live previously reported in 2015 how Barclay's first victim, a professional 52-year-old lady, had been out socialising and was walking home around 12.15am when he struck in an alleyway in Gosforth.

Newcastle Crown Court heard how she had no memory of the attack and was found unconscious on the ground by two women passing by. Prosecutors said they couldn't prove whether Barclay took her to the ground and knocked her out or abused her after finding her unconscious.

Barclay carried out the even more serious attack on the 25-year-old as she left the city centre after a night out at around 2am. A taxi driver spotted him following the woman as she headed past the Haymarket and up towards the Central Motorway and Barclay hid in bushes as the cabbie tried to raise the alarm.

But as the woman got inside the entrance of Exhibition Park, just off Claremont Road, she was attacked. The woman tried giving Barclay money in the hope he would leave her alone but he wouldn’t stop.

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A man has been jailed after he raped a woman while on a first date.

Lee Frost will spend nearly a decade locked up after he forced himself on a woman who had agreed to go on a date with him.

Frost, 38, of Lobley Hill, Gateshead, left the woman with extensive bruising and so traumatised after the ordeal she moved house and now sleeps with a lock on her bedroom door.

Frost was arrested on suspicion of rape in Spring 2021, but denied his guilt, claiming the pair had consensual sex.

He was charged with two counts of rape but continued to deny any wrongdoing when he appeared at Newcastle Crown Court in January this year to stand trial.

A jury, however, saw through his lies, and he was found guilty of both counts.

On Monday (February 27), he was jailed for nine years, with an extended licence period of five years.

He was also made to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life.

A statement was also read out on behalf of the victim which condemned her attacker, saying he had devastated her life and left her feeling afraid in any place she tried to call home.

Northumbria Police praised the victim for finding the strength to speak to officers and for continuing to assist with the investigation, trial, and all court proceedings.

A spokesperson said: "As a force, we want to praise the victim for finding the strength to speak to officers and for continuing to assist with the investigation, trial and all court proceedings.

"Her bravery has seen her attacker jailed and we also hope it serves as a stark warning to those with an unlawfully blurred view on consent that no always means no, and no can be conveyed by more than just speech.

"If a person tells you no, attempts to push you away, freezes or very clearly becomes distressed, it is clear that they have not given you consent to touch them.

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Peter Forbes, of Gateshead, admitted downloading indecent images from the dark web.

A pervert whose sickening collection of indecent images included a newborn baby being abused has been spared prison.

Police went to the home of Peter Forbes in January last year and seized his computer devices. They found 34 of the most serious, category A images, 21 category B images and 74 category C. There were also 24 prohibited images and four extreme pornography images.

Omar Ahmad, prosecuting, told Newcastle Crown Court the children featured were aged between a newborn baby and 16 years old. One showed a one-week-old baby being abused and there was "discernable pain and distress" from the children.

There was also evidence Forbes had also engaged in chats with others about "younger" children and had made word searches for terms associated with paedophilic images.

Forbes, 28, of Church Road, Gateshead, pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images, possessing prohibited images of children and possessing extreme pornography. He was sentenced to 12 months suspended for 18 months with 120 hours unpaid work.

Brian Hegarty, defending, said: "The general public will, of course, be horrified and appalled, quite rightly, over images of this type. He had an addiction to pornography from the age of ten.

"He was on the dark web and came to download these images. He referred himself for counselling after his arrest."

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A convicted sex offender is back behind bars after breaching an order designed to curb his deviancy by chatting to another pervert and failing to tell police he had a phone and memory sticks.

Michael Minchell, whose previous convictions include sexual assault and child abduction, was made subject to a sexual harm prevention order in July 2020 for child sex offences. But in June this year a visit by a risk management officer revealed he was not abiding by it.

He had a mobile phone which he had failed to register with police for three months and also had USB memory sticks which he had not told officers about, as he was meant to do. And he had been in regular contact with another sex offender who he met in prison, which was also forbidden in the order. He had also contacted another pervert.

Newcastle Crown Court heard Minchell, 57, has nine previous convictions. In December 2020 he got a suspended sentence for two counts of gross indecency with a child under 13 and indecent assault of a boy. He was also convicted of three counts of sexual assault and child abduction in 2007 and indecent assault in 1998.

ChronicleLive reported in December 2020 how our story about the foot fetish pervert prompted a new victim to come forward to report what he'd done decades earlier.

Jane Foley, defending, said: "He would say he is vulnerable. He has been frequently bullied and easily led.

"He seeks the approval of others. When he has formed friendships in prison he has found it very difficult to steer clear of them.

"He has lost his job as a result of his offending. He is an isolated individual and has anxiety and depression."

Minchell, 57, of Saint Cuthbert’s Court, Gateshead, pleaded guilty to four counts of breaching a sexual harm prevention order and being in breach of a suspended sentence. Judge Julie Clemitson jailed him for a total of 29 months and told him the sexual harm prevention order and sex offender registration will continue for life.

The judge said: "You have demonstrated a pattern of non compliance with measures implemented to manage the risk you pose.

"You are isolated and have lost your job. Those are consequences of the path you have chosen to lead through your life. You put your own needs ahead of the measures put in place to protect other people."

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Adam Ward, of Gateshead, admitted a series of offences including sexual assault, voyeurism and making and taking indecent images.

A pervert who sexually assaulted a young girl and secretly recorded children and adults in a toilet and changing room has been branded a dangerous 'monster' and jailed.

Adam Ward's vile activities were revealed when police seized his computer equipment. They found thousands of indecent images of children, including some he had taken himself and some showing he had sexually assaulted a very young girl.

Another series of images showed a different young girl using a toilet. He had also recorded a woman at the Sage music centre, where he worked, by hiding a camera in the ceiling in the toilet and filmed another woman from under a cubicle in a changing room. Recordings were also found of children in a changing room.

A pervert who sexually assaulted a young girl and secretly recorded children and adults in a toilet and changing room has been branded a dangerous 'monster' and jailed.

Adam Ward's vile activities were revealed when police seized his computer equipment. They found thousands of indecent images of children, including some he had taken himself and some showing he had sexually assaulted a very young girl.

Another series of images showed a different young girl using a toilet. He had also recorded a woman at the Sage music centre, where he worked, by hiding a camera in the ceiling in the toilet and filmed another woman from under a cubicle in a changing room. Recordings were also found of children in a changing room.

Now Ward has been branded as a high risk sex offender by a judge at Newcastle Crown Court as he was jailed for a series of offences.

The parents of the young girl he sexually assaulted and took indecent images of provided victim impact statements about the horrific discovery of what had happened. Her mum said: "I can't begin to explain the devastation and damage he has brought to our family.

"The emotions we go through include anger, sadness, guilt and heartbreak. I've not stopped crying since I found out about this.

"I feel physically sick wondering how he was able to do this and did he hurt her and scare her. I was unable to protect her, not knowing she was at risk of harm. He has shattered our lives."

The girl's dad added said he would have to live with the guilt of what happened to his "beautiful little girl" and recalled the "devastating news of what that monster had been up to".

Ward had also downloaded more than 22,000 indecent images of children from the internet, aged between six months and 15 years. There were also 33 search terms associated with people looking for such illegal material.

Ward, 28, of Milton Square, Gateshead, pleaded guilty to sexual assault, six counts of making indecent images of children, two of taking indecent images of a child, possessing extreme pornography and three counts of voyeurism. He was jailed for four years and four months with an extended licence of a further five years and eight months, by Judge Julie Clemitson. He must also sign the sex offenders register and be subject to a sexual harm prevention order for life.

Jane Foley, defending, said: "He has expressed remorse, albeit there's evidence of a lack of victim empathy. He is intelligent and had a good job working in finance."

Miss Foley added that Ward has autism and other mental disorders, including personality difficulties, anxiety and depression.

Detective Constable Elizabeth Biggins, one of the officers leading the investigation, said: “Ward’s actions are despicable, but we have been able to strike and secure the evidence needed to secure a conviction. I would like to thank the families involved for their assistance, resilience and patience throughout the investigation.

“I hope this sends a firm message to other potential offenders that our robust stance on this deplorable type of crime remains strong, and that the next person at your door could very well be us.

“I would always encourage anyone with information about this type of offending, or anyone who thinks they have been a victim, to come forward and talk to us. “You will be heard and supported, and we will work hard to ensure any offenders have their day in court.”

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A pervert who tried to meet two schoolgirls for sexual activity on the same day has been jailed after thanking vigilantes for catching him.

Adrian Cartwright, who has previous for preying on young girls, made contact with what he thought were two 15-year-olds online and engaged in sexual chat and arranged to meet them. In fact he had been talking to decoy profiles set up by paedophile hunters Guardians of the North.

Using the moniker "Top dad", Cartwright communicated with both profiles online in October 2019. Within five messages to the first "girl" he had sent a picture of his penis and requested images of her "wearing less clothing". He also suggested she perform a sex act on him, asked about school uniform and underwear and talked about her sexual body parts.

Newcastle Crown Court heard he arranged to meet her at 4.30pm on October 11 at a car park in Birtley and requested that she didn't wear underwear.

He engaged in a similar chat with the second profile, saying he wanted regular meet ups, asking about her sexual experience and sending her pictures and asking for images of her. He arranged to meet her on October 11 at 11pm at an Asda and suggested they engage in sexual activity at an industrial estate.

Prosecutor Paul Cleasby said: "The prosecution say it's obvious he intended to meet two children on the same evening for the purpose of sexual activity. It's clear he intended to meet the children as he attended the first meeting when both decoys were present.

"The decoys, with other members of Guardians of the North, tried to block his vehicle in the car park but he mounted a grass verge and drove off at speed. He was briefly followed by Guardians of the North but due to his driving they abandoned any pursuit after seeing him drive through a red light and drive at speed on the wrong side of the road in a 20mph residential zone."

Police were contacted and he was arrested at his home a short time later. He appeared out of breath and claimed he didn't know why officers were there.

Cartwright, 52, of Ollerton Gardens, Felling, Gateshead, pleaded guilty to two counts of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and two counts of attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming. Judge Stephen Earl jailed him for 28 months and his lifelong sex offender registration and indefinite sexual harm prevention order continue to be in force.

The court heard he was convicted of eight offences of sexual activity in 2007 in relation to two 14-year-olds. He was given a suspended sentence for that.

The court heard Cartwright, who is in a relationship, said he committed the latest offences while bored at work. Representing himself, he said: "I would like to express my remorse. I have let myself and my family down.

"I would like to thank the Guardians for catching me doing this because it could have been someone else less defensive than themselves. I need help and don't believe a jail sentence would provide that help.

"A lot has changed in three years. I've changed my job and I'm a health and safety representative and have done first aid. I try to help people if I can.

"My parents' health has decreased and I spend a lot of time helping them. I really feel the need to be there for them."

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A pervert caught with indecent images of children blamed his addiction to pornography for his vile stash.

Nathan Stephen's sickening collection featured infants and children aged up to 16 years and he had distributed one of them to someone who later told him she was a child herself, Newcastle Crown Court heard.

When confronted by police on October 14 2020, he asked: "Is this about the girl I was speaking to because I didn't realise she was 15 until later".

Various devices were seized and he was found to be in possession of 43 of the most serious, category A, images, 52 category B and 73 category C. He also had 2,876 prohibited images and seven extreme pornography images.

There had also been more than 14,000 keyword search terms used which are associated with indecent images. When interviewed, Stephen said he was speaking online to a female in America and he started sending cartoon pornography. He said she initially said she was 19.

He then sent her one indecent image of a girl aged around 10 being abused and she told him she was a child. Stephen told police he didn't believe he had a sexual attraction to children and claimed he was just addicted to pornography.

The 25-year-old, of Brighton Road, Gateshead, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images, distributing one category A image, possessing prohibited images and possessing extreme pornography. He was sentenced to two years suspended for two years with a four month curfew. He must also sign the sex offenders register for ten years and was made subject to a sexual harm prevention order.

Tony Cornberg, defending, said Stephen has mental health issues and has voluntarily signed up to the "Stop it Now" programme to tackle his offending.

 

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Robert Farrow, of Gateshead, had been released on licence for sexually assaulting a child and distributing indecent images when he breached restrictions placed on him A pervert who was caught with a child in his home after being released from prison on licence has been put back behind bars. Robert Farrow was released from an eight-and-a-half year jail term last year, with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and strict conditions in place, designed to keep him away from children. But Newcastle Crown Court heard in May this year police went to his home after a tip-off and found a teenage girl there with him. The 29-year-old, of Milling Court, Gateshead, admitted breach of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and has now been jailed for ten months.

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A convicted gangland killer and rapist smashed a can of lager into his girlfriend's face because she didn't want to drink.

Stephen Rice, who has served prison sentences for an underworld shooting manslaughter in Newcastle city centre, wounding with intent and rape, had been released on licence when he attacked his partner. A court heard she lived in the flat above his in Gateshead and they had begun a relationship after growing close when she initially went round to complain about noise.

In April last year she was at home and could hear him downstairs in his flat smashing things up. He then went to her flat at 7am with a badly injured finger which was bleeding. She wrapped a towel around it and offered to call an ambulance but he refused.

Alec Burns, prosecuting, told Newcastle Crown Court: "He had brought four cans of lager with him and he started accusing her of seeing other men. She swore she had not and got upset. Because she would not drink, he smashed a full can of lager in her face. He then got upset and said 'look what you've made me do' and began to cry."

When interviewed by police, Rice, 55, of Redheugh Court, Gateshead, claimed she had hit herself with the can but he later went on to plead guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm. Jailing him for 14 months, Recorder Carl Gumsley said: "This was a nasty offence against somebody you were professing to have a meaningful and, one assumes, loving relationship and it happened in her home.

"You have an appalling and most troubling record - you have convictions for some of the most serious offences of violence."

Ian Brook, defending, said: "There was disharmony borne out of his jealousy. There's some remorse expressed in the report.

"He met her as she had complained about the racket in is flat and they entered a relationship which was somewhat volatile. He was a career criminal. She was aware of the manslaughter conviction and the rapes. He was required to disclose to anyone he wanted to have a relationship with that he had those convictions.

"The complainant and defendant were kindred spirits. They both had mental health issues and drank to excess and had drug issues. He was released for the rape convictions in June 2018 and he says he turned a corner."

Rice was convicted of manslaughter and jailed for eight years after he shot dead a rival during a gunfight in a crowded Bigg Market bar only days before Christmas in 1995. That involved a shoot-out in Maceys bar, where Rice was already carrying a pistol when rival Frankie Kelly, 28, opened fire as revellers tried to take cover. Rice pulled his own gun from his waistband, pulled the trigger and shot Mr Kelly in the chest.

He was back inside for six-and-a-half years in 2006 for his part in a conspiracy to spread cocaine through the city.

In 2011 he was jailed for 11 years for a sustained attack on a mother in her own Newcastle home. He struck the victim from behind with a weightlifting bar. Rice then landed more blows before raping her.

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Jack Bolton, of Dunston, is a former Boys' Brigade officer who has dozens of convictions for indecently assaulting young boys Serial paedophile Jack Bolton is back behind bars for ruining the life of another young boy by sexually abusing him. The depraved former Boys' Brigade officer has a sickening history of sex attacks on male children going back as far as the 1970s and was jailed for nine years in 2011 for 33 offences of indecent assault. Now the 79-year-old pervert, of Yetholm Road, Dunston, Gateshead, has admitted abusing a boy he groomed by offering to let him drive his car and sitting him on his knee around 30 years ago. The victim, now an adult, bravely came forward after keeping the abuse to himself and said it has had a devastating impact on his life. Newcastle Crown Court heard the victim recalled how Bolton used to sell eggs and would take him out in his car. Lee Fish, prosecuting, said: "He would ask the complainant if he wished to drive his car and would sit him on his knee to facilitate this. The prosecution say at this time he had a clear sexual interest in young boys. This was classic grooming behaviour. The defendant then sexually abused (him)." Bolton pleaded guilty to indecently assaulting the victim on the basis it happened no more than five times. He also admitted indecency with a child on the basis it happened no more than ten times. He was jailed for three years and four months. In a victim impact statement, he said: "Looking back I can see this has affected my entire life. The effect of telling people what happened to me has seeped into every aspect of my life. "I feel unclean and there's a stain that can't be washed off. Hopefully by letting him know how I feel I can start to get over this and leave him where he belongs, in the past, not affecting my future." Judge Tim Gittins said he was bound to follow the sentencing regime in place at the time of the offences, which is much lower than the modern day equivalent. He told Bolton: "(The victim) is now a survivor of your depraved behaviour. He has shown considerable courage coming forward in these circumstances when almost every aspect of his life has been subject to substantial damage because of what you did to him when he was a young boy." As well as the prison sentence, lifelong sex offender registration continues, as does a sexual offences prevention order. The court heard Bolton has 52 previous convictions, mainly for abusing young boys. In 1970 he was convicted of two counts of indecently assaulting boys. In 1992 he was convicted of eight counts of indecent assault and gross indecency. In 1995 he was sentenced for indecently assaulting a 12-year-old. In 1997 he was convicted of four indecent assaults on boys aged 12 and 14. In March 2011 he was jailed for nine years for 33 indecent assaults on boys. Annelise Haugstad, defending, said Bolton pleaded guilty and added that the offences happened over a short duration.

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Reece Senior, of Gateshead, left the student and child petrified and has been branded dangerous as he was jailed A predator stalked a student through city centre streets and tried to drag her down a dark alley to carry out a sex attack then violently molested a schoolgirl. Dangerous Reece Senior left the woman petrified after striking in Newcastle after following her in an "ominous" way. A court heard he took hold of her and tried to manhandle her down an alley at 4am as she screamed for him to stop. She was pushed violently to the ground and even her desperately calling her boyfriend to say she was about to be raped didn't put him off, although she eventually got away. Having been bailed for that, he then subjected an 11-year-old girl to an equally shocking attack on her way to school. He pushed her against a wall before sexually assaulting her. Now the 28-year-old pervert, of Wallace Gardens, Springwell, Gateshead has been jailed after he was convicted of false imprisonment, committing an offence with intent to commit a sexual offence and sexual assault, at Newcastle Crown Court. Locking him up for seven years, Judge Edward Bindloss said: "(The student) was a lone female at 4am walking the streets of this city and she was followed by you. You acted in a predatory, ominous way." Senior took a "strong, aggressive grip" on the woman and demanded she go down an alleyway. The judge said: "She told the jury she was on the phone to her boyfriend saying 'hurry up, he is trying trying to rape me'. "Even that didn't put you off. You repeated an angry demand that she should get in the alley with you. She struggled against your physical attempts to take her there. I'm satisfied you intended to commit rape or assault by penetration and that's how the case was put before the jury. She gave evidence she was certain you intended to rape her." A woman was woken by the screams of the victim and heard her shouting "please" and "don't" over and over again. She suffered bruising and soreness to her hand, arm, back and buttock and was still in pain eight months later. The court heard the psychological effects on the victim have been more long-lasting than the physical ones. She was left feeling unable to leave her house, had to move and now fears men. It's also affected her university studies, her job, her relationship with her family, her sleeping, her appetite and she has had panic attacks, including once when she saw someone in a beany hat in Newcastle who she thought was Senior. She said: "It was terrifying. I was followed by him for some time before he approached me. I was aware he was behind me, which made me feel uncomfortable." Prosecutor Dan Cordey added: "She was petrified about what might happen as she was followed on the streets of Newcastle." He was released on bail and went on to commit arson when he set fire to a bin. Senior then went on to commit sex attack on the 11-year-old, who was on her way to meet a friend to go to school. Judge Bindloss said: "Given her age, she was vulnerable. "CCTV shows you changing course, going down an alley near her and she said you whistled to attract her attention. You were in the alley alone and she was cornered. "She was an 11-year-old schoolgirl. You used violence against her, pushed her against a wall, put your hand on her arm and squeezed her breast very hard then touched her vagina over her school clothing. "You tried to drag her by her sleeve but lost grip and she ran off." The girl later told police she was "shocked and scared". The court heard Senior has previous convictions, including a sexual assault against a child in 2011. Pre-sentence reports said he poses a high risk of harm to children and adults Judge Bindloss said he had demonstrated "predatory sexual behaviour in relation to both offences" and had shown no remorse or understanding for his victims. He must serve two-thirds of the seven year sentence and will be on licence for an additional five years. He must also register as a sex offender for life and will be subject to a sexual harm prevention order for the rest of his life. The court heard he maintains his innocence and says he had no sexual motive. Chris Knox, defending, said: "He clearly doesn't accept that for which he is convicted." He has ADHD and learning difficulties and was using heroin at the time.

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A double amputee pensioner spared prison for sex chats with who he thought was a 12-year-old girl has been jailed for having a secret phone.

As we reported in 2019, Raymond Straughan invited the "child", who turned out to be a decoy Facebook profile set up by vigilantes, to his home to meet his cats and said he wanted her to move in so they could have sex every night. He was given a suspended sentence for that and a sexual harm prevention order which meant he had to declare any internet enabled devices to police.

On March 11 last year, risk management officers attended 70-year-old Straughan's home and he was asked to provide all devices capable of being used to go online. Matthew Hopkins, prosecuting, told Newcastle Crown Court : "The defendant gave officers a Samsung mobile phone and he confirmed it was his only internet enabled device. Officers became suspicious because the phone appeared to be in factory default state.

"He was asked if he was sure that was his only internet enabled device and he again confirmed it was." Police went back a few days later and noticed a different mobile phone on a coffee table near Straughan. He initially lied that it was his wife's phone and she backed him up at first but then admitted it was his.

While there was no illegal material found on the phone he had failed to declare, in breach of the sexual harm prevention order, there was some "sexualised conversation" with adults. Mr Hopkins said: "He said he couldn't offer an explanation for what he had done."

Straughan, of Barford Court, Harlow Green, Gateshead, pleaded guilty to breaching the sexual harm prevention order and breaching the suspended sentence. Jailing him for eight months, Judge Christopher Prince said: "You were trying to conceal your online behaviour and the pre-sentence report says this clearly raises concerns about your motivations."

The judge said it was "concerning" he had lied about the second phone and added: "This was a quite deliberate breach of the sexual harm prevention order."

Kelly Sharif, defending, said: "He has seen the error of his ways with regard to not notifying the police about the phone. He tells me he is sorry for this. He has since had police out three times to check his devices and there have been no issues."

It was in late 2018 and early 2019 that Straughan made contact with a girl called Lucy on social media and, despite her apparently tender age, quickly turned the conversation sexual. In the first contact, he asked if she was a virgin and if she wished to explore her body before telling her he wanted to make love to her and that it was allowed because she was classed as an adult from the age of 12.

Fortunately, Lucy was a fake profile set up by an online paedophile hunting group called Stop, rather than a real child. When Straughan was told she wanted to be a vet, he suggested she visit his home to see his pets, before saying he would take her swimming and that they could go to a hotel.

He arranged to meet up with her but pulled out two days beforehand. However, vigilantes turned up at his address and he was driven out, with damage being caused to his home and neighbours being told he was a paedophile.

He was sentenced to nine months suspended for two years and told he must sign the sex offenders register for ten years and will be subject to a sexual harm prevention order for the same period.

Description

Gary Ridler, of Whickham, left the mum terrified during a campaign of stalking after she ended their brief relationship Obsessed stalker Gary Ridler threatened to cut up his ex's dog and chop her head off after she dumped him when she found out he was a sex offender. Ridler had been involved in a brief relationship with the mum, which she ended after finding out he was on the sex offenders register. That sparked a prolonged campaign of stalking which left the woman living in fear. He twice gained entry to her home and on one occasion turned up with a machete and told her he had a bottle of petrol. Newcastle Crown Court heard he tried to get her to retract an earlier statement to police by saying he would petrol bomb the houses of those closest to her while making the vile threats about the dog and saying he would behead the woman. Now Ridler, 39, of Graham Avenue, Whickham, Gateshead, has been jailed for 28 months after admitting stalking and having the machete. The court heard they had met while she was working in a pub in 2020 and they embarked on brief relationship. But when she found out he was a registered sex offender, she ended the relationship as she was concerned for her children. Ridler took the rejection badly and started causing issues with male customers in the pub and sent her unwanted calls and texts. She blocked him but he continued to contact her from a withheld number and from a fake social media account. The manager at the pub barred him and the police banned him from other pubs in the area last summer. The court heard he responded by saying he would hurt 14 people because she had him barred from 14 pubs. Matters escalated and in August last year she got a number of texts calling her names and threatening to harm her and her friends and colleagues. Jessica Slaughter, prosecuting, said: "There was a phone call in which he said he would give her a good hiding and she said she would take a black eye if it meant he would leave her alone. "He said it would be more than a black eye and threatened to stab her, which she found particularly frightening." On September 5 she finished work at the pub and saw his dog outside and was concerned he was there. He texted asking to go for a drink and she refused and left with a friend. Ridler had been watching her and sent a message asking where she was going. Several hours later she was having a cigarette outside a pub in Newcastle city centre when she saw him and was concerned he had followed her. Then, in the early hours of the morning, she was woken by him banging on her window demanding to be let in. He kicked the door and managed to get in. Miss Slaughter said: "He held his fist to her face as she was curled up on the sofa and smashed her phone. "Her teenage daughter was woken by the disturbance and came downstairs to see him leaving and her mother hysterical. She described her mother breathing heavily. "He had threatened to kill her if she told anyone about him being on the sex offenders register." A few days later, on September 10, the victim was at home when Ridler suddenly appeared in her living room. He became aggressive, demanded her phone and the friend she had been talking to on it heard her burst into tears. He searched through her phone, looking for communication with other men then pulled a machete out of his bag. Miss Slaughter said: "In the bag was also a plastic bottle with liquid, which he said was petrol. "He knew the police had been contacted about the earlier incident on September 5 and threatened to chop her head off and cut up her dog if she didn't retract her statement. "He threatened to petrol bomb the houses of her friends and family and said he hated her and would hurt anyone she cared about." He used the machete to destroy her phone, cutting her sofa in the process. He then pushed the broken glass side of the phone into her hand then put the phone in his bag. Ridler also used the machete, in its case, to hit her foot. Miss Slaughter said: "The incident lasted 30 minutes and she was terrified. "At times she closed her eyes but he insisted on her looking at him in his eyes." In order to bring the incident to a close, she said she would retract her statement. In a victim impact statement, she said: "When I was told he was a registered sex offender I decided to end things because of my children and this led to him turning very frightening and terrifying me for months. "He became obsessive. He would come to work and watch me and I felt like there was no escape from him. "I didn't know what to do, I was terrified. "He caused me to change from being an outgoing person to feeling distressed and on edge and terrified he would harm me and my family. "He is really unpredictable and even got in my house and my daughters were there the first time." The victim said she had to leave her place of work and has moved house but still fears what will happen when he is released from prison." Ridler pleaded guilty to stalking involving fear of violence between July 1 and September 13 last year and having a bladed article and was jailed for 28 months. He was also made subject to an indefinite restraining order. The court heard he has 12 previous convictions, including three counts of sexual assault, for which he was jailed for 43 months in 2016. He also has previous for carrying weapons. Shaun Routledge, defending, said Ridler "couldn't take the rejection" despite the woman initially saying they could remain friends. He added that the machete had remained in its sheath and said "his problems appears to be alcohol".