Locked up: The North East criminals put behind bars in April 2022; Paedophiles, violent attackers and arsonists among those to be handed custodial sentences by crown court judges.
Byline: By, Sophie Doughty & Nicole Goodwin
Sick sex predators, drug gangs and violent attackers are among the criminals to be locked up in April.
A drink driver who caused the death of his childhood friend and an intoxicated driver who veered off a bridge and came crashing onto the motorway below -before blaming it on his partner who was left unconscious in the vehicle -are among those to be jailed over the last month.
A drug gang found with £600,000 worth of heroin, as well as £18,000 in cash and six luxury cars were also sentenced this month following one of the biggest drugs busts in the North East.
Read more: Prolific West Denton thief who stayed out of trouble for two years returns to old ways
These are the criminals who have been locked up in April.
George McDonald
George McDonald was already behind bars when he appeared back in court via video link from HMP Northumberland to be sentenced for contempt of court. The 24-year-old had appeared at Newcastle Crown Court on February 16 where he was given a 16 month prison sentence for assault occasioning actual bodily harm and common assault.
But after the sentence was passed, McDonald, of Castle Terrace, Ashington, leapt over the dock and ran from the courtroom. He then assaulted security staff before he was eventually restrained, but managed to grab one officer by the neck in the process.
McDonald was given a nine month prison sentence, which will run consecutively to his 16 month prison sentence imposed in February.
Hugh Raymond Holmes
Hugh Raymond Holmes caused a woman to be in a critical condition after the car he was driving fell from a bridge and smashed onto the A1 motorway below.
Emergency services were called to J61 Bowburn Interchange following the incident on the morning of January 21. A woman in her mid-40s suffered serious injuries and was airlifted to hospital, and was left in a critical condition.
The court heard that witnesses saw the female passenger attempt to get out of the vehicle some time before the crash occurred. The court also heard that Holmes refused to provide a breath sample following the incident, telling an officer to "f off".
Holmes, who had a laceration to his forehead, was then arrested and later gave a prepared statement to police "placing the blame" on his female passenger, maintaing she was the driver. Now, Holmes, of Tudhoe Moor, Spennymoor, has been jailed for 32 months after appearing at Durham Crown Court.
The judge also banned him from driving for a total of 343 weeks and he must take an extended test.
Elvis Pietri and Iraklis Poimenidis
Elvis Pietri, 22, and Iraklis Poimenidis, 23, were described as acting like "predators circling their prey" in the moments before they sexually assaulted a woman on the streets of Sunderland.
In the early hours of August 8, 2020, they moved in on the intoxicated woman, who had been seen slumped outside of a bar earlier in the evening. CCTV captured the two students with the woman outside of Sunderland railway station, before they went on to kiss her and then "humiliate and degrade" her by sexually assaulting her on the street.
Now the pair have been jailed and will be on the sex offender's register for life after appearing at Newcastle Crown Court earlier this month.
Pietri, of Lyndhurst Road, Wood Green, London, was jailed for 30 months. And Poimenidis, of Hylton Road, Sunderland, was jailed for 34 months.
Liam Loraine
Liam Loraine bombarded his partner with 183 texts and 105 calls in just six hours after she dumped him. Loraine, who has a history of domestic-related offences against his girlfriends, couldn't accept that the victim had ended their relationship over the Easter weekend so took to harassing her with messages and phone calls instead.
A court heard that the woman didn't respond to the 26-year-old, who was on a suspended sentence for sending malicious communications to another former partner at the time. But the foolish move cost Loraine, of Cartmel Grove, in Saltwell, Gateshead, his liberty after he was arrested and pleaded guilty to one count of harassment.
Because he was on a suspended sentence and had recently got out of prison for a domestic-related assault, Deputy District Judge Andrew Teate jailed him for 12 weeks. The court heard that Loraine was extremely sorry and had only contacted the victim to seek "clarity" as he thought it was a member of her family who sent the initial message to break up with him.
Jack Bolton
Serial paedophile Jack Bolton is back behind bars for ruining the life of another young boy by sexually abusing him.
The depraved former Boys' Brigade officer has a sickening history of sex attacks on male children going back as far as the 1970s and was jailed for nine years in 2011 for 33 offences of indecent assault. Now the 79-year-old pervert, of Yetholm Road, Dunston, Gateshead, has admitted abusing a boy he groomed by offering to let him drive his car and sitting him on his knee around 30 years ago.
The victim, now an adult, bravely came forward after keeping the abuse to himself and said it has had a devastating impact on his life. Newcastle Crown Court heard the victim recalled how Bolton used to sell eggs and would take him out in his car.
Bolton pleaded guilty to indecently assaulting the victim on the basis it happened no more than five times. He also admitted indecency with a child on the basis it happened no more than ten times. He was jailed for three years and four months.
Mark Heron
Pervert Mark Heron has been jailed for nine years for raping a drunken teenager.
The victim, who was under 16, had fallen asleep due to her state of intoxication and came round to find Mark Heron on top of her. Heron, who ran away during his trial in a "cowardly" act, was found guilty of raping the teenager by a jury.
Newcastle Crown Court heard the 45-year-old, who still maintains his innocence, left his victim living in fear. The court heard the victim came around to find Heron had removed clothing and was on top of her.
Anne Richardson, prosecuting, said: "Although she had fallen asleep with her leggings on, she realised these were no longer on, and her knickers were down to her ankles.
"The defendant was wearing a T-Shirt but he was not wearing any pants, he had one hand over her mouth and had his other hand on her waist whilst having sex with her. She noticed that there was a chair blocking the door which leads to the stairs. Once she realised what was happening, she told the defendant "No" and he said to her "Shhhh it's alright".
Heron, of Arcot Avenue, Cramlington, Northumberland, who has a previous conviction for indecent exposure to a "group of young females", was told he must serve at least two-thirds of the nine year prison sentence. He was given an additional four weeks for failing to surrender after absenting himself from his trial. Heron will also have to sign the sex offenders register for life and was given an indefinite restraining order.
Jeffrey Mein
Jeffrey Mein, a health and safety employee at Durham University, had a collection of illegal photographs and movies on his personal computer equipment and phone, which he would share online. Newcastle Crown Court heard his sickening collection included images of adults engaging in sex with animals.
The now 58-year-old lost his job at the university when his shocking secret life was exposed. Prosecutor Jane Waugh told the court police raided Mein's home in August last year and he immediately confessed what he had been doing.
Mein, of no fixed address, admitted distributing indecent images, voyeurism, possessing extreme pornography, possessing prohibited images of children and three charges of making indecent images of children in relation to more than 400 illegal pictures and movies, across all categories of seriousness.
Judge Robert Adams sentenced him to two years and eight months behind bars. Mein must also sign the sex offenders register and abide by a sexual harm prevention order for ten years.
Michael Nicholas
Michael Nicholas recorded himself shouting "nonce" and "grass" at a witness in a court building.
Nicholas , 24, of Glasgow Road, Jarrow, shouted intimidating abuse at the victim, who was in a witness care room at South Tyneside Magistrates' Court. He used his mobile phone to record what he did, which is forbidden in court buildings, while peering...
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