IN THE DOCK: Round-up of cases heard at Northumberland’s courts

The cases appeared in this week's Hexham Courant. 

WYLAM

A trial date has been set for a man accused of dishonestly claiming he would carry out vehicle restoration work.

Alan MacIntyre (61), of Dicklebourgh, North Suffolk, denied eight charges of fraud by false representation at North Tyneside Magistrates' Court earlier this year.

He is accused of, between March 1 2012 and October 31 2014 in the village of Wylam, deceiving eight different people of handing over thousands of pounds of work towards vehicle restoration.

In total, it is alleged he made a financial gain of more than £30,000 from his actions.

After pleading not guilty to all eight charges, a virtual plea and trial preparation hearing took place at Newcastle Crown Court yesterday (February 25).

MacIntyre was excused from attending.

Judge Paul Sloan QC, Recorder at Newcastle, set a trial date of June 13 2022.

The trial is set to last 10 days.

MacIntyre is currently on bail, with requirements to make the court aware of any changes to his correspondence address and to not make contact in any way with the prosecution witnesses.

HEXHAM

A WOMAN has been remanded in custody after admitting to possessing a kitchen knife in public.

Amanda Louise Longstaff (37), of Burn Lane, Hexham, admitted at South East Northumberland Magistrates' Court to possessing the bladed article in public without a reasonable excuse.

Longstaff had the knife on her on St John's Road, in Hexham, on February 13 this year.

She was remanded in custody until March 16 when she will appear at North Tyneside Magistrates' Court.

Longstaff denied a charge of assaulting a woman on St John's Road on the same date.

HEXHAM

A MAN will stand trial after denying causing a woman harassment, alarm or distress.

At South East Northumberland Magistrates' Court last Tuesday, Joseph Scott Rumney (45), of St Pauls Road, Hexham, denied the charge relating to an incident in Gibson Fields, in Hexham, on September 29 2019.

He will stand trial at Newcastle Magistrates' Court on June 28.

HEXHAM

A WOMAN was more than double the legal drink drive limit when she drove her vehicle in Hexham.

At South East Northumberland Magistrates' Court on Monday, Sara Williamson (29), of Maidens Walk, Hexham, pleaded guilty to driving after consuming alcohol.

On January 30 this year, she was driving on Giles Place, in Hexham, with 87 microgrammes of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 35mg.

She was banned from driving for 20 months and also fined £280.

In addition, Williamson was ordered to pay court costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £34.

HEXHAM

A SEX offender who was found to have been in breach of a sexual offences order when he was arrested following a spate of burglaries has been jailed.

Paul Michael Millar (60), previously of Gilesgate, Hexham, pleaded guilty at South East Northumberland Magistrates' Court last Wednesday to two separate charges of being at Tyne Green Caravan Park, in Hexham, on February 15 and 22 this year for an unlawful purpose after police attended the scene following reports of a number of break-ins.

He also admitted to failing to notify his offender manager that he had become homeless as was required as part of the Section 80 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 after being sentenced in January for exposing himself during a trip to Carlisle.

For failing to meet the requirements of the Sexual Offences Act, Millar was sentenced to 20 weeks in prison, and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £128.

For the two charges of being at the caravan park for an unlawful purpose, he was sentenced to two weeks for each charge, to run concurrently with the 20-week sentence.

PRUDHOE

A TYNEDALE woman has admitted trying to smuggle a number of painkillers into or out of prison.

At South East Northumberland Magistrates' Court on Monday, Deborah David (40), of Edgewell Avenue, Prudhoe, admitted six counts of bringing, throwing or otherwise conveying the items prohibited through the Prison Act 1952 into or out of Morpeth-based prison HMP Northumberland,

On December 27, Davison had in her possession 60 tablets containing methandienone and methyltestosterone, 3.71 grams of diamorphine, 1.22 grams of cocaine hydrochloride, 49.5 buprenorphine tablets, 14 zopiclone tablets and 24 pregabalin tablets.

Davison will appear at Newcastle Crown Court on March 29.