South Tyneside crime round-up: Violent domestic, thief nabbed on kid bike plus PCSO gay jibe
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 given one last chance,
South Tyneside danger driver given 'one chance' after 104mph chase and police car crash
A danger driver who crashed into a police vehicle and a parked van after a 104mph chase has been given "one chance".
Alfie Ford drove a Vauxhall Corsa on the wrong side of the road, went through red lights and mounted a footpath after officers tried to pull him over on Hedworth Lane in Jarrow, South Tyneside, on June 26 last year.
Newcastle Crown Court heard police had to abandon the initial pursuit after around six or seven minutes as Ford's driving was so dangerous.
The court heard damage was caused to both of the vehicles Ford crashed the Corsa into.
Ford, 19, of Heddon Way, South Shields, South Tyneside, who has no other convictions, admitted dangerous driving.
Ford was sentenced to 15 months, suspended for two years, with 200 hours unpaid work, rehabilitation requirements and a two-year road ban with extended test requirement.
South Shields 'steak' thief is nabbed by police on borrowed teenager's bike
A prolific South Shields shoplifter is behind bars after he was arrested by police on a borrowed teenager’s bike.
Earlier this month, officers received reports of a man acting aggressively at a supermarket on Stanhope Road, South Shields.
In response, Northumbria Police officers were deployed to track the man who’d ran off from the store carrying several packets of steak.
After giving chase on foot, the pursuing firearms officer had 32-year-old Phillip Padgett firmly in his sights.
To catch up with him, he kindly borrowed an onlooking teen’s bike – allowing him to swiftly catch up with Padgett, who had since dropped his spoils into a bush in an attempt to evade arrest.
Just minutes later, Padgett was in handcuffs and the boy’s bike was returned safely to him, much to the gratitude of the arresting officer.
Later that day, Padgett, of no fixed abode, was charged in connection with more than 30 reports of shoplifting.
And the next morning (Monday, June 8), Padgett pleaded guilty at South Tyneside Magistrates' Court to the thefts with a total value of almost £6,000.
He was sentenced to 40 weeks’ imprisonment.
South Shields man drunk-drove to save life after town centre collapse
An ‘angel of mercy’ who drove while drunk in South Tyneside to potentially save a life has been spared a road ban.
Scott Hudson, 42, got behind the wheel believing he may have to take drive to hospital a friend who had collapsed and stopped breathing during a night out in South Shields town centre.
After moving his mum's courtesy MG motor a maximum of 200m to her side, Hudson jumped out and joined two passers by in administering CPR, distressing CCTV footage played to a court showed.
The woman fell ill while walking with Hudson, who had taken the car but intended to get a taxi home, from a bar at around 4.30am on Sunday, August 24.
Police arrived and took over the woman’s care ahead of paramedics racing her to hospital, but Hudson, of Russell Street, Jarrow, was breath tested, found over the limit – and charged.
At South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court in September, he pleaded guilty to drink driving, his reading for alcohol in breath being 56mcg, against the legal limit of 35mcg.
Unable to dial 999 because his mobile phone had died, and with no cash to pay for a taxi, he told the court in his panicked state he felt his only option was to drive.
Hudson said there were no taxis nearby and he believed he no other means of summoning help.
Magistrates agreed it was an emergency situation and found special reasons for driving proven, saying a bystander would have expected Hudson to intervene.
They imposed no motoring penalty and granted him an absolute discharge.
A South Tyneside man who allegedly likened a police community support officer to gay pop star singer Sam Smith has been cleared of a homophobic hate crime at trial.
Daniel Taylor, 35, admitted he had called PCSO Callum Thompson “a gay boy” while walking past him inside South Shields’ travel interchange.
When the officer asked him what he had said, Taylor replied, “I said ‘massive big giant’,” police body worn camera footage taken at 7.30pm on Saturday, February 14, showed.
Taylor, of Crofton Street, near Tyne Dock, then threw his backpack to the floor in becoming aggressive, before fleeing the building.
He also admitted he turned and called the same officer “a puff” while being pursued by him and a colleague PC Christine Smithson.
On being arrested soon afterwards, he allegedly referenced PCSO Thompson and Sam Smith together, borough magistrates heard.
They were told there were two elements to the charge Taylor faced of using threatening, abusive, insulting words of behaviour to cause harassment, alarm or distress.
The first was had he intended to cause harassment, alarm or distress to PCSO Thompson, and the second that it was motivated by homophobia.
Magistrates said they did not find the first element proven, meaning any homophobic intent could also not be proved.
Giving evidence, PCSO Thompson said he and PC Smithson were speaking to youths at the interchange as part of an anti-social behaviour initiative.
He said Taylor and another man entered and he heard the words “gay boy”, which he attributed as being said by the defendant towards him.
The officer admitted attempting to grab Taylor’s arm, at which point the defendant pulled his bag from his back and threw it down.
Taylor shouted in anger and backed away towards the exit before making off in the direction of Fowler Street.
PCSO Thompson said he felt targeted, adding: “I believed it was a homophobic comment.”
From the witness box, PC Smithson said she twice heard Taylor, who she described as “agitated”, say “gay boy” at her colleague.
She said, “I heard that very clearly,” and she insisted she had felt distressed by his comments.
And she added: “When he was arrested, he referred to PCSO Thompson, referencing him as ‘Sam Smith’. Sam Smith is a pop singer and his sexuality is homosexual.”
Also giving evidence, Taylor said he believed the officers were bullying the youths.
When asked by defence solicitor Joanne Gatens what he had said, Taylor replied it “might have been gay boy or something”.
Questioned by prosecutor Rehana Haque , Taylor said he had used the homophobic words because “it’s just the banter, isn’t it, it’s what it’s always been like in South Shields”.
He added: “I was just trying to distract him from the kids, and it worked. They were out there trying to bully them and get a reaction.”
And when asked why he had called him a puff, he said: “They are just bullies who go about picking on people.”
Quizzed about the Sam Smith comment, Taylor added: “I can’t remember making that comment. Who is Sam Smith? I listen to music, I must know who that is.”
In finding Taylor not guilty, magistrates said he had not become aggressive until grabbed and the officers’ evidence was “inconsistent”.
Violent South Shields drunk delivered right hook to partner - all caught on CCTV
A violent drunk who knocked his partner to the ground with a right hook to the head in full view of CCTV cameras in South Tyneside cameras has been spared jail.
Mark Seales, 36, whacked her in South Shields town centre after they had boozed at a food festival on Saturday, May 23, borough magistrates heard.
They jailed him for 24 weeks but suspended the sentence for 18 months, allowing Seales, of John Williamson Street, near Tyne Dock, to walk free.
It was the second time in less than two years he had been given a suspended prison sentence for the same ABH offence against her.
In a report, the Probation Service said he had failed to learn his lessons and up until the day of the attack was using cannabis and still boozing.
As punishment, magistrates also ordered the dad, a part-time steward at Sunderland’s Stadium of Light ground, to stay alcohol-free for 90 days and do 150 hours of unpaid work.
In a report, the Probation Service said he had been “heavily intoxicated”, a response to his first day of not smoking cannabis.
It confirmed his suspended sentence was committed against the same victim and while he was also drunk.
Its report said he had suffered a “chaotic” childhood, and that cannabis was his main addiction issue but alcohol the fuel to his violence.