Live: Breaking news, traffic and travel across Teesside

The Evening Gazette's live breaking news blog brings you regular updates, pictures, video, tweets and comments covering the latest Teesside and North Yorkshire traffic, travel, weather, crime and council news for today, Monday 10th November, 2014.

You can contribute to the live blog by posting your comment below, and you can also tweet us @EveningGazette to share breaking news stories, pictures and opinions.

Our Teesside breaking news live blog begins at 07:00am every weekday and is updated throughout the day and into the evening.

Teenage robber manhandled Norton shopkeeper in terrifying morning raid after drink and drugs binge

A teenage robber who manhandled a shopkeeper in a terrifying morning raid is behind bars for more than three years.

Jake Mack, 18, had a scarf wrapped around his face as he and another hooded man struck at the Norton Convenience Store on Norton Road, Stockton.

Following a drink and drugs binge at a party, he grabbed the lone shopkeeper and took him to the floor at 9am on August 31.

The victim was then told by the robbers: “Don’t shout. Don’t look up. Put your head on the floor and close your eyes.”

Mack’s partner in crime - who has not been caught - tried and failed to open the till, Teesside Crown Court heard on Friday.

Mack frogmarched the shop assistant to the counter holding him by the hair as he was forced to help open the register.

Prosecutor Paul Lee said the other robber then attacked the shopkeeper as he knelt on the floor defenceless near the shop entrance.

The unidentified raider punched the 40-year-old victim in the face as Mack held him, then kicked him before they left.

The pair stole about £350 cash, cider and lottery tickets. They were chased and Mack was arrested by police nearby.

Other customers found the distressed shop worker, who suffered a facial fracture at the bottom of the eye which was treated without surgery.

He had bruising and swelling to his right eye, blurred vision and numbness.

He later said the robbery caused emotional as well as physical pain.

He did not sleep well, awoke in a panic and awaited counselling for his anxiety.

“It was totally unnecessary. I did not fight back at all,” he said in a statement.

“The lasting effects are going to continue for a long time with no end in sight at the moment.

There were audible reactions from the public gallery as CCTV footage capturing the robbery was played in court.

Mack, of Runfold Close, Stockton, admitted robbery. He had two previous convictions, both for assault.

Nick Peacock, defending, said: “This sort of thing is ridiculously out of character for this young man.

“He’s been involved in minor skirmishes before but nothing on this scale.”

He said Mack was the “secondary party”, his associate the “main man” who directed him and caused injury.

He added: “This happened because this young man was full of drink and drugs at a party.

“This whole thing escalated when they got into the shop.”

Mr Peacock said Mack, who had numerous references, showed clear, genuine remorse and was highly regarded by his family and friends.

He added: “The family are completely taken aback by all this, utterly shocked and thoroughly ashamed of his behaviour.

“For them to see the video must be a shock.

“He took the bull by the horns and pleaded guilty straight away.

“He knows he’s done wrong. He knows he has to be punished. He knows what’s coming to him. However he’s a young man. It doesn’t need to be longer than necessary.”

Judge Peter Armstrong told Mack: “I accept you weren’t the ringleader.

“However those who get involved in robbery have to take the consequences. You know that.

“This one night and one morning of foolishness is going to affect your life.

“This offence was clearly pre-planned. You were prepared to use violence.”

He sent Mack to a young offenders’ institution for three years and four months, of which he will serve half.

Middlesbrough criminals among the most likely to reoffend in the country

Criminals in Middlesbrough are among the most likely to reoffend in the country.

Nearly one third - 32.9% - of adult and child criminals in Middlesbrough have definitely committed at least one further offence within a year of being convicted, or 18 months if they had to go to court.

That is higher than any other local authority area in the country.

Hartlepool has the highest rate in the country overall at 35.6%.

In Middlesbrough, the rate has come down between 2005 to 2012. It was 34.1% in 2005.

Justice Minister Andrew Selous said: “Reoffending rates remain too high - too many honest, hardworking people are being mugged, burgled or worse by criminals who have already broken the law.

“Prisoners sentenced to less than 12 months currently get no support on release and this group have the highest reoffending rates, with almost 60 per cent returning to crime within a year of release.

“Through our crucial reforms to probation we are finally addressing this glaring gap. Making sure all prisoners get the support they need to turn away from crime will be vital in reducing reoffending and making our communities safer.”

The average criminal in Middlesbrough had an average of 19.2 offences on their record already - again one of the highest in England and Wales. The average nationally was 12.1 offences.

There were 1,006 criminals in Middlesbrough who broke the law again soon after their initial appearance in the justice system.

This hard core of criminals committed an average of 3.6 offences each.

Overall in England and Wales the reoffending rate is 26% - the lowest since at least 2005.

The figures in Stockton and Redcar and Cleveland are better than in Middlesbrough - but still higher than the national average.

Stockton’s reoffending rate was 28.5%, which saw 643 reoffenders commit an average of 3.37 offences each.

27.1% of offenders strayed again in Redcar and Cleveland - 664 criminals committed an average of 2.87 crimes each.

The data comes from monitoring offenders after their previous brushes with the law, which could be after they were released from prison, received a non-custodial sentence at court or receiving a caution, reprimand or other warning.

If they commit another offence that leads them back to the police or the justice system within either 12 or 18 months, depending on the time it takes to deal with them, then they are classed as reoffenders.

Recap: Breaking news, traffic and travel across Teesside

The Evening Gazette's live breaking news blog brings you regular updates, pictures, video, tweets and comments covering the latest Teesside and North Yorkshire traffic, travel, weather, crime and council news for today, Friday 7th November, 2014.

You can contribute to the live blog by posting your comment below, and you can also tweet us @EveningGazette to share breaking news stories, pictures and opinions.

Our Teesside breaking news live blog begins at 07:00am every weekday and is updated throughout the day and into the evening.

Stockton burglar confronted victim and told her: 'You ought to be careful'

A brazen burglar faced his victim outside her home and told her: “You ought to be careful.”

Baby-faced Joshua Bruce had the nerve to say to the woman: “Shut your door otherwise you’ll get burgled.”

He still does not see how she would be badly affected by him invading her property, Teesside Crown Court heard.

He had crept into her house at 4am and stole her television and jackets from the front room.

She stepped outside after hearing noise, thinking it was her brother, said prosecutor Emma Atkinson on Thursday.

Police found the stolen goods stashed in the back alley behind the home on Russell Street, Stockton.

Bruce, 20, was soon tracked down acting suspiciously and evading police on Skinner Street.

He told officers he had been drinking, saw the open front door and made a “spur of the moment decision”.

He went inside twice, ignoring his girlfriend’s warnings not to do so, and made off when confronted by the householder.

Bruce, formerly of Westbourne Street, Stockton, admitted his first house burglary, the seventh offence on his record.

He was previously involved with his older brother and grandfather in stripping and selling 2.7 metric tonnes of stolen cable.

His home at the time in Stockton had been turned into a “cable stripping factory”, with an incinerator in the back garden.

The stolen cable was weighed in at scrap metal dealerships for more than £9,000 in the wholesale operation.

Bruce was locked up for 16 months - his first time inside - for handling stolen goods in February last year.

Martin Scarborough, defending him for the burglary, said: “It was an impulsive act. He was drunk and the door was ajar.

“He accepted going in and going back to collect items. There was a confrontation with the lady outside, a brief discussion with her.

“He does have a good work ethic. He was in college for a number of years.

“He does accept full responsibility and does show remorse.”

Judge Howard Crowson told Bruce: “You were sneaking into somebody’s home at 4am.

“You had the gall to talk to her, partly because you were in drink. That makes things worse, not better.

“According to the probation officer you don’t understand why she’dbe negatively affected by what you did.

“You’re wrong. It’s her house. She found you in it. She’s bound to be negatively affected.

“That’s why you’re going to serve a custodial sentence.

“I don’t particularly agree that you were impulsive since you went in twice and you were told by your girlfriend not to do it.”

He sent Bruce to a young offenders’ institution for 16 months.

Sorrow as vandals desecrate Teesside war memorials with Nazi graffiti

Vandals have desecrated Teesside war memorials – by urinating on them, fighting and spraying sickening Nazi graffiti.

As the nation gathers to remember those who died for our country, new information released under the Freedom of Information Act shows Cleveland Police investigated 53 incidents at war monuments over the last three years.

A swastika was discovered on the Linthorpe Cemetery war memorial, Middlesbrough, in June 2011, with BNP graffiti found on a nearby baby memorial on the same day.

Three people were arrested for urinating on the Victoria Road monument in Hartlepool, with another two arrested for fighting at the site in February 2012.

Police were also alerted after a girl ran into a nearby pub after being assaulted by youths at the memorial.

Joan Murray, Hartlepool branch secretary for the Royal British Legion, said: “This shows complete and utter disrespect.

“I think it’s highlighted more this year because it’s the 100th anniversary.

“Not everyone agrees with commemorating soldiers, but at the same time it’s very sad that this happens.”

In Stockton, police received five separate reports of anti-social behaviour, including people riding bikes, drinking and dumping a vandalised trolley on the memorial.

Derek Lewis, chair of the Friends of Linthorpe Cemetery who will parade through Middlesbrough in remembrance today, expressed his regret about the incidents in what he feels is normally a well-respected cemetery.

He said: “It just shouldn’t happen, but it’s just the way things are these days.

“We need to make sure that young ones are still interested in the commemoration of the soldiers who died for our country.”

The information released details all incidents reported to police over the last three years, and reveals that of the 53 incidents, Cleveland Police made seven arrests.

As well as the incidents of anti-social behaviour and vandalism, the report also revealed that police were called out to a man sitting at the monument – making a cross for his dead father.

When police spoke to the man at the Albert Park monument in Middlesbrough in September 2011, he said he had wanted “somewhere quiet to sit” while he made a cross for his father’s grave.