Violent offender jailed following two unprovoked attacks in Sunderland

A violent offender responsible for committing quick-fire attacks in Sunderland city centre has been jailed.

Ethan McLoud, 24, is beginning a one-year jail term after being at the centre of two unprovoked incidents on January 29 this year.

The two acts of violence took place on Vine Place and in Mowbray Park in Sunderland between 6.45pm and 8.15pm, with McLoud randomly setting on his victims and verbally abusing them before fleeing on foot.

He was quickly found and caught after a neighbourhood warden from Sunderland City Council who was on duty in the Vine Place area captured his actions on body-worn video.

Then moments after the second disturbance in Mowbray Park, CCTV operatives working in their control room in Washington raised the alarm and alerted neighbourhood police officers who were working in the city centre.

With an investigation launched by police, images of the prime suspect were circulated and a police officer on patrol in the city centre recognised McLoud as somebody who looked familiar from footage. He was subsequently arrested and later charged with affray and a public order offence.

McLoud appeared before magistrates in South Tyneside on Thursday, February 9, where he pleaded guilty to both offences and was jailed for one year.

Speaking after the result, Sergeant Maria Ord of Northumbria Police, said: “These incidents were shocking with both victims attacked in the city centre.

“As soon as we were made aware of these quick-fire incidents, our priority was to identify the attacker and we knew that a potentially dangerous offender needed to be stopped."