Stockton thug ordered to stay away from woman for 10 years after prolonged savage attack

A brute who carried out a prolonged attack on his girlfriend when he arrived home from a night out was ordered to stay away from her for 10 years.

Christopher Mann, 31, from Stockton, found that the door to their flat was locked and he shouted until she pressed the entry buzzer.

He immediately attacked her pulling her to the floor by her hair and he stamped on her head.

Prosecutor John Gillette told Teesside Crown Court that she tried to escape down the stairs as Mann began throwing things around the flat and she heard him rifling through the cutlery drawer yelling “I’ll stab you, believe me I’ll do it.”

He pulled her to the bottom of the stairs by her hair and kicked her. She struggled outside but he pulled her to the ground and he began dragging her back towards the flat.

A man in the street grabbed hold of Mann and overpowered him, and the attack stopped.

Mann’s girlfriend of two years, with whom he had a child, was left with cuts to her forehead and bumps on her head. When police interviewed him he made no reply.

An interim restraining order banning him from going within 100 metres of her was imposed on him after his arrest for the March 1 attack.

Catherine Fagan, defending, said that Mann had spent the equivalent of a five months jail sentence while remanded in custody and on a tagged curfew, and the maximum punishment for the attack was six months.

He was now living in supported accommodation, and lawyers were working for his agreed access to his child.

The Recorder of Middlesbrough Judge Simon Bourne-Arton QC told Mann that it was one of the worst cases of common assault that he had experienced.

The judge said: “The conduct you carried out against that poor woman is clearly unacceptable.

“This is as bad a case of common assault or assault by beating as I have come across.

“I have said time and time again that any conduct of violence in the home will be met by imprisonment.

“The maximum sentence is six months and I would have had to give you credit for your guilty plea, and the maximum sentence would be five months.

“You carried out an assault against that woman which went on for a long time. It was prolonged and persistent, you punched her, kicked her and you threatened her. I have seen the physical marks that you left, goodness knows what psychological marks you have left on her.”

The judge told Mann that he was a self-centred, selfish individual who had no care about others, and that had to be addressed.

Mann, of Portrack Lane, Stockton, was sentenced to a two year community order with supervision and a domestic violence programme after he pleaded guilty to common assault.

The judge also imposed a restraining order banning him for 10 years from contacting the woman.

Man brandished pool cue on central Middlesbrough street after being 'knocked clean out' over £10 debt

A man brandished a pool cue on a busy Middlesbrough street after being “knocked clean out” over a £10 debt.

John Paul Wilkes, 32, was captured on CCTV waving the pool cue around and stumbling into oncoming traffic on the corner of Linthorpe Road and Gresham Road, in Middlesbrough town centre, on July 5.

Prosecuting, Jenny Haigh told Teesside Crown Court on Tuesday that a member of the public had seen Wilkes being punched outside his address at nearby Park Road North, Middlesbrough.

The passer-by saw Wilkes go into the property and leave with a walking stick - but realising his intentions, took it off him.

Wilkes then went back inside and returned with a pool cue, before following the man who had punched him with it.

Ms Haigh said Wilkes had 23 convictions for 39 convictions on his record.

Mitigating, Kieran Rainey said Wilkes had answered his front door to a man demanding a £10 debt be repaid.

“He was lifted clean off his feet by a punch to the face. Mr Wilkes weighed about eight stone at the time, the man had knuckledusters on.

“The man also has a knife secreted down his waistband, that cannot be seen on the CCTV.

“Mr Wilkes lost control of his senses, he had been briefly knocked unconscious. The man had told him he was going to return with a baseball bat. He does not hit anyone with the pool cue, it is self defence. He accepts that what he did was wrong. But the red mist comes down, and he decides the best form of defence is attack.”

Mr Rainey told the court that Wilkes had spent a considerable period of time out of trouble, but had returned to offending with a series of shop thefts - because a local food bank he was visiting had ran out of food.

He also said he had reduced his daily methodone intake while in custody.

The Recorder of Middlesbrough, Judge Simon Bourne-Arton QC, sentenced Wilkes - who admitted being in breach of a conditional discharge for shoplifting imposed in April - to five months in prison.

Scooter rider still fighting for his life in hospital following Linthorpe Road collision

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Terry Blackburn

Linthorpe Road motorcycle pedestrian collision

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A scooter rider remains in hospital fighting for his life following a collision in Middlesbrough.

The collision happened on Tuesday at 6.30pm on Linthorpe Road.

It involved an off-road style 50cc scooter and a 21-year-old pedestrian.

Both were taken to Middlesbrough’s James Cook University Hospital where they remain.

The 21-year-old male rider of the scooter suffered serious head injuries, internal injuries and cuts.

A spokeswoman for Cleveland Police said his condition remains critical.

The 21-year-old male pedestrian suffered a broken foot and cuts and is in a stable condition.

Swimmers are hoping to dress the part with the help of Gazette Wish Sport

Swimmers are hoping for a helping hand with the cost of their club clothing after signing up to Gazette Wish Sport.

Members of Billingham Amateur Swimming Club are hoping readers will back them save tokens which they can exchange for cash.

And they hope to raise enough to help cover the costs of the club t shirt and shorts for the swimmers,

Sue Mogford, from the club, said the Billingham Forum based group was founded in 1930.

She said: “Over the years with the help of a strong committee the club has gone from strength to strength in achievements.

“Hundreds of children in the area have been taught to swim, gain confidence in water and a few have reached the English Nationals.

“We are extremely proud of our club and the achievements of its’ members. We have a head coach, junior coach, five coaches and seven assistant coaches and a number of committee members who all give up their own time to help.”

The Gazette has teamed up with Middlesbrough and Teesside Philanthropic Foundation, which is providing £30,000 to share between not-for-profit sports groups across Teesside.

Tokens are being printed in the Gazette every day for groups to collect. The more collected, the greater the share of the prize pot.

This year the tokens collected will be worth a share of £25,000, with the remaining £5,000 up for grabs during two online bonus days.

All groups will be in with a chance during the bonus days to win a share of the additional money pot – the four that receive the most votes on http://ift.tt/1md60Qe will get the cash.

Foundation patron Nigel Williams said: “The Philanthropic Foundation carries out amazing work across Teesside. As someone who was not only born and raised in the area but who has lived and worked here all their life, I want to see Teesside thrive at all levels. I think the Foundation’s support of Wish Sport is a great example of how we can make a real difference, not just to sports clubs but to the lives of the people who benefit from their involvement in sport.”

Billingham Amateur Swimming Club raised money for equipment and storage when they previously took part in Wish Sport.

To help them this year send your tokens to them at 16 Cameron Street, Norton, Stockton on Tees TS20 1HW.