A man who took part in the theft of a £22,000 caravan from Crimdon Dene holiday site has been jailed at Durham Crown Court.
Martin Mongans was one of four gang members who stole the caravan, but is the only one brought to justice so far.
The caravan was recovered little more than 24 hours after the theft in March.
Other recent custodial cases include two sex offenders, two dangerous drivers and a domestic abuser.
Six offenders jailed in recent Durham Crown Court cases
Mongans was arrested as he tried to flee after police spotted the caravan being towed by a van in Station Town, late on March 27.
Three accomplices fled and escaped.
Mongans, 48, of Granton Road, Edinburgh, admitted stealing the caravan after changing his plea in August.
The court heard he has convictions, including one for theft, in recent years in Ireland, and is wanted on warrants in Scotland over alleged similar offending and vehicle interference.
Mongans received a 17-month prison sentence at the court, on September 18.
The following day, the court heard how a cocaine-fuelled driver caused a head-on crash and fled, leaving another driver with life-threatening injuries.
Brandon William Turnbull crossed double white lines while overtaking on the A183 between Chester-le-Street and Bournmoor at 8.15pm on Sunday, December 28.
When he saw a car approaching, he accelerated to finish overtaking but crashed head-on into the Mazda.
The Mazda driver, a carer returning from work, had no time to avoid the crash.
He suffered serious internal injuries, needed life-saving surgery and spent 55 days in hospital, but still endures long-term pain and other after-effects.
Turnbull was seen limping away from the scene and was later arrested after attending A&E at the University Hospital of North Durham.
The 27-year-old, of Grasmere Terrace, Chester-le-Street, has no previous convictions. He admitted causing serious injury by dangerous driving, failing to stop and driving over the drink-drive and drug-drive limits.
Judge Tom Mitchell called it “a moment of madness” and jailed Turnbull for three years. He also banned him from driving for 54 months.
A groomer who persuaded two girls to send intimate images and one to perform sex acts on herself has been jailed for six years.
Kevin Appleby built trust through lengthy online chats before turning the conversations sexual.
He was caught after one victim’s sister saw the 13-year-old filming herself performing a sex act and alerted their mother.
Police visited Appleby’s County Durham home in October 2021 and seized several devices for examination.
The devices contained 129 indecent images and videos of children, including 37 in the most serious category.
Chat logs revealed exchanges with the 13-year-old and a second victim, a 15-year-old girl in South Africa, who has not been traced.
Prosecutor Nick Peacock said they revealed classic grooming techniques used by Appleby, who was in his early to mid-20s at the time, between April 2020 and June 2021.
The delay in the case reaching the sentencing stage was partly caused by police efforts to trace the girl in South Africa, which were unsuccessful.
Appleby, now 30, of Faulkner Road, Newton Aycliffe, admitted sexual communication with a child, three counts of causing or inciting sexual activity and two attempted offences involving the untraced South African girl.
He also admitted three offences relating to the indecent images of children found on his devices.
Appleby must serve two-thirds of his six-year sentence in prison before release on licence.
He was also given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order “until further order”, restricting his internet use, and must register as a sex offender for life.
A lifetime restraining order bans Appleby from contacting the girl who was traced.
A man was jailed for threatening people with a knife and leading police on a dangerous Darlington car chase six days later.
Gary Metcalfe received a two-year sentence after being arrested following the pursuit in the early hours of Friday, August 26.
The court heard Metcalfe was driving a Nissan Pulsar around various Darlington streets at about 4am.
He was not insured to drive the vehicle and had no driving licence.
Metcalfe drove on to a grassed area and hit a lamppost before abandoning the vehicle and fleeing on foot.
He was arrested shortly afterwards while trying to hide between two parked cars on Westminster Road.
Officers found a kitchen knife tucked down his trousers. Metcalfe asked them to remove it because it was digging into his leg.
He was also arrested over an incident in Middleton Lane, Middleton St George, near Darlington, on Saturday, August 15, when he threatened three men with a knife.
The 27-year-old, of no fixed abode, admitted threatening people with a knife, dangerous driving and driving without a licence or insurance.
Recorder Andrew Walker imposed consecutive sentences of 14 months for dangerous driving and ten months for the knife threats, making 24 months in total.
Metcalfe was also banned from driving for 26 months.
A man “suddenly flipped” after returning from a wedding celebration with his partner of 18 months.
Anthony Gillan and his partner had spent the day drinking at a friend’s wedding celebration on April 15, 2023, the court heard.
But the mood changed on their return to the woman’s home in Evenwood.
Prosecutor Andrew Espley told the court: “He suddenly flipped, punched and slapped her and stamped on her head, before pushing her into a bed frame.”
Gillan grabbed her neck, pulled out her hair extensions and followed her when she tried to flee. He punched her again before throwing her out.
In the following days, he sent her deeply offensive and degrading messages.
Gillan, 39, of Redworth Road, Shildon, admitted intentional strangulation and assault causing actual bodily harm.
Jailing him for 22 months, Judge Nathan Adams told him: “Despite your claims, you were quite clearly the aggressor that night.
“It was a serious and sustained attack in a domestic situation in the victim’s own home.”
Gillan was also made subject of a 10-year restraining order prohibiting him from approaching or contacting the victim.
A Bishop Auckland takeaway worker who sexually assaulted a woman twice faces deportation to Iran after being deemed a high risk to women.
Karwan Ahmady, 34, was convicted of two counts of sexual assault after a trial last month.
The court heard he came to the UK in November 2021 seeking a better life and claimed asylum as he feared returning to Iran.
Ahmady, of Gibbon Street, Bishop Auckland, was granted a five-year work visa which has either expired or is about to expire.
The court heard that apart from his takeaway job, he has also trained as a barber in the UK.
Judge Richard Bennett said the Probation Service consider Ahmady to pose a high risk to women and children because of his predatory behaviour in two attacks.
He jailed Ahmady for 12 months and said he could face automatic deportation upon his imminent release given the time spent on remand since February.
Judge Bennett also imposed a 10-year restraining order banning Ahmady from contacting or approaching the victim. He must also sign the sex offenders’ register for 10 years.