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Thief spared jail after wrecking spree saw seven vehicles damaged in Sunderland streets

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November 22, 2020
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A thief who launched a wrecking “spree” that left seven vehicles damaged has been allowed to keep his freedom.

Kieron Wright targeted motors that had been parked in the River View area of Sunderland, all within hours of each other, in October last year.

Newcastle Crown Court heard that all of the vehicles, which included cars and vans, were damaged by the 28-year-old, who smashed windows and lights, and some had personal property taken from inside.

Prosecutor Paul Reid told the court: “It was a spree of breaking into vehicles parked in Sunderland.”

At the time of the car attacks, Wright was on bail after being caught with a balaclava, torch and small hammer near the scene of a burglary and for stealing perfume from Asda.

Wright, who has a long criminal record, pleaded guilty to going equipped for theft, criminal damage and theft charges.

At a previous hearing, earlier this month, Jamie Adams, defending, said Wright, of Rosedale Street, Sunderland, was “wanting to be caught” so he could get help with his drug problem.

Mr Adams said Wright is “trying to sort himself out” and has responded well while in custody on remand.

Mr Recorder John Aitken adjourned the case until today so that Wright can be assessed for his suitability for a drug rehabilitation order.

The judge told him at the time: “It seems to me you have shown some progress and it would be in everyone’s interests if you could get a grip of your drug abuse which might lead to you not offending again.”

Wright was given bail over the last three weeks and was told he would receive a non-custodial sentence if he can convince the drug treatment authorities that he is willing to work with them.

But the judge warned him: “If you are unable to persuade them of that, I will have no choice but to give you a custodial sentence.”

Wright has now been back in court today where the judge sentenced him to a community order for nine months with a drug rehabilitation requirement.

Sunderland Echo

The full story behind prolific Cambs criminal who threw poo over a prison guard

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November 19, 2020
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Jacob O’Dell also ran over a 12-year-old girl, smashed up his gran’s house and threatened to rape children

A prolific Cambridgeshire criminal has had his jail sentence extended after he covered a prison officer in poo and urine, which wasn’t the first crime he committed involving human excrement.

But 24-year-old Jacob O’Dell’s most serious crime was when he ran over a 12-year-old girl at the Sainsbury’s petrol station in Coldham’s Lane, Cambridge.

In September last year, O’Dell had just filled up his petrol tank when a police car pulled up at the pump alongside him. O’Dell claimed the two police officers in the car had “panicked” him, knowing he had no valid licence or insurance.

As result, he sped out of the petrol station without paying for his fuel, and in his haste to run he collided with the young girl, leaving her with serious injuries.

She’d been cycling with a friend and was using the zebra crossing towards the McDonald’s nearby.

The girl, who has since made a full recovery, was rushed to Addenbrooke’s where it was found that she had a fractured pelvis, severe bruising, bruising to her ribs, various cuts, and a head injury.

O’Dell didn’t stop the car after he hit the youngster and was eventually caught in a car park near Cottenham Village College, but not before he tried to ram a police car out of his way.

This incident wasn’t O’Dell’s first brush with the law either.

Since the age of 11, O’Dell’s grandmother has tried everything to help him since he first entered the prison system, such as interventions and various programmes, but nothing was right for him, his defence, Robert Pollington, said at his trial in Cambridge Crown Court at the start of this year.

“He is a child in terms of his decision-making,” said Mr Pollington, adding that he was “stupid”.

He also said what happened on September 28 was a “momentary lapse of concentration”, but he has demonstrated a level of “extreme remorse”.

O’Dell’s grandmother was present at the hearing – despite previously being a victim of his crime when he ripped the doors in her house off their hinges – and waved as he was jailed for three-and-a-half years.

The court heard how O’Dell had a “substantial” criminal record, with 26 previous convictions totalling 64 offences, dating back to 2007 – when he was just 11.

His criminal record first began in the youth courts, with “relatively minor” cases of criminal damage and assault.

Throughout the years he was further convicted of possession of cannabis, common assault, aggravated vehicle taking, making off without payment, and more.

He also went to a young offenders’ institute for 13 months.

O’Dell also has eight points on his licence, with Judge Bridge adding that he had an “appalling driving record”.

In 2017, he was sentenced for a raft of crimes, including charges of using threatening and abusive words to cause harassment, racially related harassment, three burglaries, thefts from cars and shops, attempted theft, criminal damage of his grandmother’s home and driving offences for driving without insurance and not in accordance with a licence.

He was jailed for 30 months then.

On previous occasions, O’Dell also threatened to kill a security officer after he was caught attempting to shoplift.

He was also previously sentenced for burglary after he smashed his way into a house and stole priceless family heirlooms, leaving his victims “feeling sick”.

On one occasion, O’Dell hurled abuse at a passing cyclist in St Andrew’s Street.

And after a confrontation, O’Dell shouted: “I’m going to stab you and chop your head off with an axe.”

Then while in custody in May 2017, O’Dell urinated all over the floor of his cell before threatening to rape the supervising officer’s children, saying: “You f***ing p*ki c*** I’ll rape your kids. EDL mate, go back to your own country.”

He also joked he had five Kinder eggs worth of drugs in his rectum.

And then in 2017, he smashed up his grandmother’s home, after demanding to know “where his axe was” and asking for money.

But even when O’Dell was locked up he continued on his path of destruction, leaving for a second time a wake of human excrement.

In December last year, having only been a prisoner at HMP Peterborough for a few months he once again lashed out.

Arming himself with a bucket containing a mixture of urine and poo he hurled its contents over one of the female prison officers.

The attack, known as “potting” within prison circles, left the victim covered in faeces, despite her attempts to shield herself.

When interviewed, O’Dell claimed he was pressured into committing the offence by another inmate, but later admitted charges of administering a noxious substance with intent to injure.

He was jailed for an additional 18 months on Monday, November 2, at Cambridge Crown Court.

DC Zoe Slater said: “This was a disgusting, unprovoked attack that nobody should have to endure.

“Prison staff work hard to ensure the safety of inmates and should be able to do so without fear of being attacked.”

Already serving a three and a half year sentence for running over the 12-year-old girl, O’Dell was given an additional 18 months to his overall sentence.

Cambridge News

Men guilty of smashing windows of MP Helen Goodman’s office

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July 22, 2019
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Colin Dodds, left, and Alan Dent, right, who have today been convicted of causing criminal damage to MP Helen Goodman’s office window

TWO men “deliberately targeted” the office of Helen Goodman MP in a politically motivated attack by throwing bricks through the windows, a judge has said.

Colin Dodds and Alan Dent have today been jailed after they were convicted of causing criminal damage to the Bishop Auckland MP’s office.

District Judge Helen Cousins has sentenced Dent to eight weeks and Dodds to 12 weeks in custody.

This morning, Dent, 50, of Co-operative Street, Shildon, admitted a charge of causing criminal damage after losing his temper and throwing a brick through a window.

And Dodds, 44, of Douthwaite Road, Bishop Auckland, denied the charge, but he has been found guilty of the offence.

The judge said the pair had deliberately targeted the MP’s office.

She said: “I saw two men walking down the street in a determined way with bricks in their hands and low and behold windows were then smashed.

“I have no hesitation in finding that it was deliberate – there can be no other reason than it being politically motivated for them to chose that building. This was a targeted attack on a sitting MP’s office.”

Teesside Magistrates Court heard how the pair had been supporters of far-right organisations, including the English Defence League (EDL) and had been subject to police surveillance while taking part in Anti-Islamic protest marches across the region.

Dent had told the court that he was ‘fully’ responsible for the damage but denied it was politically motivated maintaining that he lost his temper after spending the day drinking in Bishop Auckland town centre.

He said he was angry after seeing his ex-partner in town and got into an argument with a friend before picking up the bricks and threatening to ‘smash his head in’.

Dent told the court that his co-accused grabbed a brick out of his hand to stop him attacking their friend.

Under cross examination from Ann Mitchell, prosecuting, Dent said: “When I found out he (Dodds) had been arrested, I wanted to come to prove my guilt and prove Colin’s innocence.

“He stopped me doing something worse when he took a brick off me.”

She asked Dent whether he came to court to plead guilty and keep Colin Dodds out of trouble, he said: “It definitely wasn’t a planned attack, I was in my best clothes, it was broad daylight and I was drunk.

“He had absolutely nothing to do with it.”

Two windows at Ms Goodman’s constituency office on Cockton Hill Road, Bishop Auckland, were broken after being hit with house bricks on the evening of Saturday, April 6.

Dodds denied the attack was related to Ms Goodman’s stance on Brexit. He said: “I had no prior knowledge of it before it happened; it wasn’t planned and I had nothing to do with it.”

Under cross examination, Dodds vehemently denied hurling a brick through the window and maintained they were walking to his home on the Woodhouse Close estate.

Northern Echo

Court hears boozy reveller had 105 previous convictions

By
February 5, 2019
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A KEYLESS reveller is starting 12 months in jail after he tried to get back into his home using a ladder at 2.40am.

An eye-witness thought Andrew John Waterson was a burglar and summoned police to Skelton Court, Clifton, said prosecutor David Garnet,t at York Crown Court.

The 39-year-old, with 105 previous convictions, reacted so badly to the police presence, it took five officers to bring the kicking, screaming man under control.

“You have pleaded guilty yet again to a series of offences that reflect your complete disregard for any ideas in our society for good behaviour,” Judge Jonathan Durham Hall QC told Waterson.

“There is nothing that can be sensibly done by the defence to stop this court from doing its duty. Some court has to.”

He jailed him for three months, plus nine months previously suspended for benefit fraud.

Waterson pleaded guilty to a public order offence and causing criminal damage to a police cell.

For Waterson, Iftikhar Ahmed said his client did not have his house key with him, but had an arrangement to wake up a neighbour who did have a key when he returned from his night out.

“This is something he has adopted in the past,” said Mr Ahmed. “Unfortunately for him, police were called.

“He tried to explain to the police exactly what he was doing, but he felt that the police officers didn’t want to hear anything from him.”

The court was told Waterson regretted his actions.

He had been out with friends for the first time since his 15-year-old daughter had come to live with him and had got drunk. His parental responsibilities had led to him changing his lifestyle and he had got part-time work.

“I have rarely seen a record so bad,” Judge Durham-Hall said.

“I have rarely seen someone treated with such leniency over the years.”

Waterson’s 105 previous convictions included eight for public order offences and ten for damaging property.

He got the suspended sentence at York Crown Court in November for claiming £11,790 in benefit while doing six jobs at different times over a three-year period.

Benefit fraudster

Andrew Waterson claimed a disability living allowance, income support, housing benefit and council tax benefit on the grounds that he had an injured arm that stopped him working.

But the car valet still managed to do six jobs at different times between May 2002 and 2005, thus netting £11,790 of taxpayers’ money he was not entitled to, York Crown Court heard in November.

Defence barrister David Dixon said Waterson had needed the money to support his family and towards the end of the period had been helping his partner fund her drug habit.

The Recorder of York, Judge Stephen Ashurst decided the five benefit offences Waterson admitted, plus 273 similar offences taken into consideration, merited a nine-month prison sentence.

He suspended the sentence because jailing him could mean Waterson’s teenage daughter would have to go into care and because the Department of Work and Pensions had waited 18 months before prosecuting him.

However, once Waterson admitted another offence committed during the two-year suspension period, another judge could jail him – and did.

York Press

From 2008

Drunk woman who hurled racist abuse at takeaway staff and damaged police car jailed

By
January 20, 2019
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Laura Heywood begged magistrates not to send her to custody but they were appalled by her ‘horrendous’ record

A woman who hurled racist abuse at takeaway staff and a police officer has been jailed despite begging magistrates to give her another chance.

Laura Heywood blamed her “abusive and controlling” boyfriend for the heavy drug abuse which led to her offending.

Appearing live via a video link from HMP New Hall, the 24-year-old pleaded with Kirklees magistrates not to hand her a custodial sentence after pleading guilty to a string of charges.

She told them: “I’m begging you to take this risk on me – please don’t send me to prison.”

But magistrates were unmoved to grant her request after hearing details of offences including her vile abuse of two takeaway workers – one a teenage boy- where she threw cans of drink at them.

The incident at Dixxi Express in Batley happened on May 4 last year.

Drunk Heywood was at the nearby bus station with a friend and they walked into the St James Street takeaway.

Prosecutor Alex Bozman said: “They were racially abusive to two staff members, describing them as ‘P**i b******s’.

“Cans were then thrown at both gentlemen, hitting them and the contents spilling all over their clothing.

“One of the staff members was 16 and shocked to be assaulted at his place of work as he’d never experienced anything like that before.

“The other victim said that he was angry and that it was an unprovoked attack and there was no reason why they’d been targeted.”

Police were called and caught Heywood and her friend trying to board a bus. Heywood was described as aggressive and refusing to leave the vehicle.

When she was finally put into the police van she directed racist abuse to a female officer during the journey, calling her a ‘black b****d’ and’ n****r’ and telling her: “You’d be used as a footstool.”

Mr Bozman said: “The officer found her attitude and insults rather vile and stated that nobody has the right or authority to aim abuse at her.”

Magistrates were told about another incident at Laurel Drive in Birstall on June 3.

The victim had parked her Ford Fiesta there to visit a friend when Heywood came out into the street carrying a bottle of fizzy drink.

She shouted: “Whose is this car?” and she replied that it belonged to her. Heywood responded: “I don’t give a f**k anyway, I’m going to put it through.” She then threw the bottle at the vehicle, causing a dent.

Heywood went on to damage a police vehicle on November 6 when they were responding to reports of a domestic incident at an address in Common Road in Batley.

As her boyfriend was arrested from the property she picked up an item and threw it at a marked police car, causing a dent in the vehicle.

Then on December 30 Heywood was caught stealing a bottle of wine from the Hanging Heaton Food Store.

She pleaded guilty to two charges of racially-aggravated assault, racially-aggravated harassment, two counts of criminal damage, theft from a shop, being drunk and disorderly in public, three charges of failing to surrender to court and committing a further offence while subject to a conditional discharge.

Her solicitor Paul Blanchard described her as having a Jekyll and Hyde personality, adding that alcohol she consumed at the time of the offences would have clouded her judgement.

He explained: “The background to her most recent offending is combined with a relationship she has formed and during the relationship she has become involved in the consumption of Class A drugs.

“She’s made some ridiculously bad decisions and doesn’t deal with situations well.

“She hasn’t dealt with her child being adopted and resorted to the consumption of alcohol to block out the reality of situations.

“She’s a lovely, lovely person but has got her demons which unfortunately at times come to the top.

“Something has to change but the only person who can change is Laura Heywood.”

Heywood read a letter to the court in which she pleaded with magistrates not to jail her.

She said: “I know I need to grow up and sort my life out. I just need some support.

“I’ve now got out of my controlling and violent relationship and I’m begging you to take this risk on me.

“I know I’ve got a long, hard journey but I know I can do it. Please let me prove you wrong and make my family proud.”

But bench chairwoman Kathryn Beney slammed her ‘horrendous record’ and said she and her colleagues felt that custody was their only option.

They jailed Heywood, of Laurel Drive in Batley, for a total of 24 weeks.

Upon her release she will have to pay £100 to both of the takeaway employees she assaulted and abused.

Huddersfield Examiner

Racist drunk smashed windows with hammer at Leeds bar

By
November 22, 2018
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A THUG hurled racist abuse at staff at a bar in Leeds before using a hammer to smash windows at the premises.

John Lock caused more than £1,000 worth of damage during the incident at the Dahlak entertainment centre on Stoney Rock Lane, Burmantofts.

Leeds Crown Court heard Lock, 28, went into the premises, formerly the Sportsman pub, on March 29 this year but staff refused to serve him as he had previously been barred.

Andrew Horton, prosecuting, said Lock then took out a bottle of whisky which he had brought with him and began drinking from it.

Lock became aggressive and refused to leave.

The staff member then fetched his boss who ejected Lock from the premises.

Lock shouted racial abuse at the men and said: “You will see me again.”

He returned carrying a hammer and used it to smash windows.

The prosecutor said “glass was flying everywhere” and some of it hit a member of staff in the face.

Children witnessed the incident as they made their way home from a nearby primary school

Police arrested Lock at his home later that day and he was in possession of two hammers and a half-empty bottle of whisky.

The court heard Lock breached a restraining order by contacting his partner on Facebook on May 30.

He also assaulted a police officer who went to his home on October 5 this year.

The court heard officers went to his home and saw Lock’s feet sticking out of a cupboard.

He was told to come out but ran into one of the officers as he tried to get away from them.

The officer fell down some stairs.

Lock, of Shakespeare Lawn, Burmantofts, pleaded guilty to racially aggravated criminal damage, racially aggravated threatening behaviour, breaching a restraining order and assaulting a police constable in the execution of his duty.

Ian Cook, mitigating, said Lock was sorry for the offences and was “disappointed” with himself for shouting racial abuse.

Mr Cook added: “He does not consider himself to be a racist man. He said racist things in the heat of the moment while clearly in drink.”

Lock was jailed for eight months.
Yorkshire Evening Post

Frankenstein mask man pleads guilty to Michael Cash spray paint attack

By
October 10, 2018
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A MAN who launched a spray paint attack on homeless man Michael Cash has today been sentenced to an 18 month community order.

Aaron Jones, of Balmoral Road, Middlesbrough, appeared at Teesside Magistrates Court today to face charges of common assault and criminal damage following the attack early last month.

The 33-year-old, who turned up for the hearing with his face hidden by a child’s Frankenstein mask, pleaded guilty to both charges.

Michael Cash, 32, was found dead in a cemetery three days after the assault which happened near Tesco Express in Normanby High Street, Middlesbrough.

Chairman of the bench Stephen Walker sentenced Jones to 18 month community order, 180 hours unpaid work and 20 hours of rehabilitation activity days. He was also ordered to pay £85 court cost, £85 victim surcharge and £100 compensation for the damage.

He said: “We have put this in the highest category of common assault, the reason being is that if the aggravating factors – it was a targeted attack with an element of premedication. He was a vulnerable victim and it was shared on social media.”

Cleveland Police said Mr Cash’s death was not treated as suspicious and was not connected with anything which happened on September 9 outside the store.

Police officers attended court today in case of a disturbance in the public gallery.
Northern Echo

Man obsessed with weapons faces jail for making electric fly swat

By
October 3, 2018
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Tobias Ruth has previous convictions for racially-motivated graffiti attacks

A Torquay man who once plotted a nationwide hate campaign could be sent back to prison after being found with a prohibited weapon.

Tobias Ruth, 23, has become obsessed with knives and weapons, Exeter Crown Court was told.

He admitted two weapon-related offences when he appeared at the court for a short hearing.

The court was told he had adapted a fly swat into a stun gun and had a .22 air rifle.

Mr Kevin Hopper, defending, said Ruth had become ‘somewhat obsessed’ with collecting knives and weapon paraphernalia.

But he said the weapons had not been used in any crime and the electric fly swat did not work.

“He had no intention of using it on anyone,” said Mr Hopper

The defendant, formerly of Walnut Road but appearing via video link from custody, pleaded guilty to possessing a prohibited weapon on August 7 and possessing a firearm when prohibited.

Judge David Evans said he wanted Ruth to speak to the probation service before sentencing him.

He said all options, including immediate imprisonment, would be considered.

He adjourned sentence to October 25.

Ruth was just 18 when he and a friend carried out a campaign of racist vandalism in Torquay in 2012.

They styled themselves as Knights Templar and studied the crimes of Norweigian mass murderer Anders Breivik.

Their arrest led to houses being evacuated and roads cordoned off.

Ruth admitted conspiracy to send malicious messages and conspiracy to cause criminal damage. He was jailed for 33 months.

The judge at the time said the communications were intended to cause the fear of racial violence and plainly had a racial element.

Devon Live

You can read about his 2012 conviction here

Racist thug abused takeaway worker and attacked girlfriend’s mum

By
September 18, 2018
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A thug hurled foul racial abuse at a takeaway restaurant worker and assaulted his mother’s girlfriend.

Daniel Habberjam had 10 months added to the two-year prison sentence he is currently serving for a violent street attack on a former girlfriend in front of her three-year-old daughter.

Leeds Crown Court heard Habberjam was drunk when he entered a takeaway in Pontefract town centre on June 26 last year and accused a member of staff of being a “nonse”.

Habberjam shouted foul-mouthed racist abuse at the victim and accused him of having sex with an underage girl.

Habberjam also said: “Get out of our country, you do not belong here.”

The 30-year-old smashed a car window outside the premises as he left.

Robert Yates, prosecuting, said Habberjam attacked his partner’s mother days later at her home in Pontefract.

He threw her onto a sofa and grabbed her throat during the incident before being stopped by his partner.

Habberjam, of Cromwell Crescent, Pontefract, pleaded guilty to assault, criminal damage, racially aggravated threatening behaviour and breach of a criminal behaviour order.

The court heard Habberjam has previous convictions for violence.

He was given a two-year sentence earlier this year for punching his former partner in the street and throwing her to the floor. Christopher Morton, mitigating, said Habberjam had admitted the offences at an early stage.

Mr Morton said his client was now single, employed and expected his prison sentence to be increased. Sentencing Habberjam judge Christopher Batty said: “You have got an awful record for violence and abuse and damage.”

Wakefield Express

Contractor working for Havant Borough Council is jailed after violent racist outburst towards work colleague.

By
July 6, 2018
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A THUG with ‘entrenched racist views’ has been jailed for lashing out at a colleague just after he was sacked for months of ‘bullying and intimidation’.

Portsmouth Crown Court heard Charlie Jeans, 23, pictured right, used a racial slur towards his colleague and answered the work phone to his boss saying ‘white boys’ only’

Charlie Jeans, 23, of Thruxton Road, Havant, was jailed for 10 months at Portsmouth Crown Court for a racist attack

Charlie Jeans, 23, of Thruxton Road, Havant, was jailed for 10 months at Portsmouth Crown Court for a racist attack

A shocked line manager at his work, Havant Borough Council contractor Norse South East, reported the racism and Jeans was sacked. But the dad-of-two, of Thruxton Road, Havant, ‘lost control’ when he saw the target of his racist abuse sitting in a works van with a colleague near the depot – and smashed the vehicle with a baton.

Judge Jane Rowley said: ‘This was an incident which was ugly where you deliberately approached the (victim)’s vehicle, you called him racist abusive names which I do not care to repeat. ‘You returned to your vehicle to arm yourself with a weapon – a foot-long cosh. You set about causing maximum damage to his vehicle.’ Shards of glass flew from smashed windows of the van at the two occupants during the incident on November 22 in Southmore Lane, Havant.

Jailing him for 10 months, the judge said: ‘A clear message needs to go out to people like you who harbour such views. ‘Your views will not be tolerated in 21st century multicultural Britain where our successes as a country have been forged by the endeavours of people of many cultures, races and religions.’

Jeans, who has 18 convictions for 32 offences, was charged with having an offensive weapon, racially-aggravated common assault, assault, racially-aggravated criminal damage, criminal damage and racially-aggravated causing fear of violence. ‘I see this behaviour at the highest level of racism. There can be no excuses for your actions,’ the judge said.

Jeans admitted the racist offences only on the second day of his trial in May, after two people from the company had given evidence. The judge added: ‘You chanced your arm in this case, you had an expectation that you were living on borrowed time, that quite possibly work friends or colleagues would not turn up to give evidence – witness summonses had to be issued. ‘When they did the decent thing it was clear to me that they were significantly embarrassed by your racism and bullying, intimidating behaviour towards the victim over the many months leading up to you losing your control and smashing up his vehicle and causing him great fear when you assaulted him in November 2017.’

Damian Haye, for unemployed Jeans, said: ‘This should be treated as an isolated incident, reflecting the loss of control and not a return to former ways.’

Portsmouth News