South Tyneside crime round-up: TikTok pervert, A19 smash and £25k drugs haul
The latest crime and court tales from South Shields and South Tyneside.
As ever, crime never stops across South Shields and South Tyneside - and it’s fair to say, it never pays either, as these criminals found out the hard way.
Here’s every story we’ve published from the dock and beyond, including a danger driver accused of causing two deaths on A19, a South Shields TikTok pervert and a £25k drugs haul.
Alleged South Tyneside danger driver accused of causing death of two women in A19 smash
An alleged danger driver accused of causing the death of two women in a road smash on a 70mph Sunderland highway has appeared in court.
Prosecutors claim Eric Seymour, 57, of Mill Crescent, Hebburn, South Tyneside, was responsible for the deaths of Ethel Denyer, 75, and Samantha Cook, 43.
They say he was driving a MAN box van dangerously on the A19 dual carriageway on the morning of Monday, March 24 last year.
Seymour spoke only to confirm his name, age and address and did not enter a plea to two counts of causing death by dangerous driving.
The three-minute hearing at South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court was told the allegations against him could only be heard at a crown court.
Further details of the accident were not revealed, but Northumbria Police said at the time it had happened on the northbound carriageway, near Nissan.
It said a woman in her 70s had been treated by paramedics at the scene but had died shortly afterwards.
The second, aged in her 40s and a passenger in the same blue Vauxhall Mokka vehicle, was taken to hospital for treatment.
She was later discharged but died on Saturday, March 29.
Seymour was granted unconditional bail to appear at Newcastle Crown Court on Wednesday, July 22.
A pervert who chatted with kids on TikTok and sent a picture of his privates to a Snapchat group has been put behind bars.
Former forklift driver Dean Moore is banned from having contact with children due to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order made in April 2023, when he was jailed for having abuse images.
Newcastle Crown Court heard police went to his home in February this year after receiving a tip-off about his behaviour on social media.
Moore initially said he had "nothing to tell" but later said there might be "one or two" things on his phones, which were then seized and examined by the police.
The court heard one of the devices contained a category B child abuse image, had over 7,000 deleted web searches and a TikTok app installed.
The second contained a Snapchat app and another 7,000 deleted web searches.
When questioned after the evidence had been gathered from the phones, Moore admitted he had sent a picture of his penis in a chat on Snapchat.
Prosecutor Gurjot Kaur said: "He confirmed he had created a TikTok account and had spoken to children under 18 on there. He said he hadn't asked their age but could tell from their profiles they were under 18."
Moore, 31, of Cook Close, Simonside, South Shields, denied communicating sexually with the children on TikTok.
He pleaded guilty to intentionally sending a photograph of genitals, making an indecent photograph of a child and four breaches of a sexual harm prevention order.
Judge Carolyn Scott said Moore poses a "high risk to children" and jailed him for two years.
John Wilkinson, defending, said Moore, who has been out of work for over three years, would co-operate if given another chance.
'Extremely serious' - South Shields sex offender is ex-serviceman with 'PTSD' from Iraq tour
A South Tyneside former serviceman who did tours of duty in Iraq and Northern Ireland has appeared in court to admit a series of child-related sex offences.
In one instance, Michael Cox, 64, arranged to meet a child who was in fact a decoy at Penshaw, Sunderland, but pulled out beforehand.
Cox, of Geoffrey Street, Whitburn, pleaded guilty to one count each of making one category A and two category C indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of a child.
He also admitted one count each of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, and arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence - sexual activity - no penetration.
Magistrates in South Tyneside heard the indecent images offences took place in South Shields between May 19, 2021, and August 30, 2022.
The engage in sexual communication offence was in South Tyneside between July 12 and August 30, 2022, with a girl he believed to be aged under 16.
And the facilitating a child sex offence happened at Penshaw, between the same dates.
Prosecutor Paul Coulson said: “Clearly, these are extremely serious matters. The sexual activity offence has been marked as a starting point of three years.
“The indecent images, it’s a starting point of 12 months. The crown’s view is that it would have to be dealt with by the crown court.”
David Forrester, defending, said Cox suffered from the mental health condition PTSD and confirmed he had served his country in Iraq and Northern Ireland.
He added: “The final offence was a meeting with a decoy that he arranged but, effectively, pulled out of.”
Magistrates ordered a pre-sentence report and granted Cox unconditional bail to be sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court on Wednesday, July 22.
Cox was also made subject to the notification requirements of the Sexual Offence Act 2003, commonly known as being placed on the sex offender register.
Suspected drug dealer arrested in South Shields as police seize £25,000-worth of illicit substances
A suspected drug dealer has been arrested after Northumbria Police seized £25,000-worth of Class C drugs during a raid in South Shields.
Officers from the Neighbourhood Support Team (NST attended a house on Nevison Avenue, on Friday, June 19, as they had suspicions that drugs were being sold from the address.
Upon searching the property, police discovered large quantities of prohibited Class C drugs, which are believed to be steroids, as well as prescription-only medication.
Northumbria Police have stated that the illicit substances have a likely street value of around £25,000 - with officers also uncovering around £7,000 in suspected criminal cash.
In total, five sacks of the prohibited products were seized by officers and they will now be destroyed.
Officers arrested a 61-year-old man on suspicion of importing a Class C drug and he has since been released on police bail as officers continue their inquiries.
Inspector David Heron, of Northumbria Police, has praised the work of officers for their efforts in ensuring that the illicit substances were removed from the streets of South Tyneside.
He said: “I’m always grateful to my officers for their ongoing ability to dig a little deeper into things which seem a bit suspicious.
“Because they trusted their gut and paid this address a visit, we’ve been able to confiscate a significant haul of illegal and prescription drugs – which don’t belong in the hands of the users who end up with them.
“We hope that this sends a tough message to those dealing drugs in our towns and cities. Our dedicated team of officers will continue to act on any intelligence provided to make further arrests and seizures in this area.
“Under the banner of Operation Sentinel, we’ll continue to look to disrupt serious and organised crime – and keep these substances off the streets of South Tyneside.”
Anyone with information about suspected drug dealing in the borough can send Northumbria Police a direct message on social media or use the live chat function and report form on the Force’s website, at: https://www.northumbria.police.uk/.