Teenagers sentenced for Wesley Chapel arson attack
Three teenagers have been sentenced for starting a fire at a Grade II listed building.Firefighters spent hours tackling the blaze at the former Wesley Chapel, on Victoria Road, Hartlepool, on 7 November 2023.A 16-year-old and two 15-year-old boys admitted arson when they appeared at Teesside Magistrates' Court in January, but said they did not intend to start the fire.They were each given a 12-month referral order to work with the youth justice team and ordered to pay a £26 victim surcharge.
The teenagers, who cannot be named because of their age, had been smoking cigarettes in the building site, which started the fire accidentally, the court heard.The former Methodist church was undergoing a multimillion-pound redevelopment to turn it into a boutique hotel at the time of the fire.
'Genuine remorse'
A victim personal statement read to the court from developers Jomast said more than £200,000 of damage was caused to the site, and the blaze had delayed the project by 12 months.Sentencing the teenagers, District Judge Mallon said it was a very serious offence, but the "remorse in this case is genuine". She also highlighted the boys ages at the time of the offence, with two of them aged 14 and one aged 15.Developers have said they will continue with plans to convert the building into a hotel.Hartlepool Borough Council said the "new-look" Wesley Chapel was scheduled to open its doors in early 2026.The chapel, built in 1873, was also damaged in a fire in 2017.
Follow BBC Tees on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. Send your story ideas here.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Record
03-05-2025
- Daily Record
Horror Staffordshire Bull Terrier attack leaves blood-soaked runner in hospital
Thomas Townsend was walking Staffordshire Bull Terriers Tyson and Sandy in South Bank when they launched the attack. A runner was rushed to hospital with horror injuries after being set upon by two "out of control" dogs in a brutal park attack. Thomas Townsend was walking his two Staffordshire Bull Terriers, Tyson and Sandy in July last year when Tyson 'locked his jaw' onto a woman in a park in Middlesbrough. The horror incident unfolded as she was about to leave the area and looked up from her phone to see a dog barking at her then sink its teeth into her groin area. 'I can't control them,' 46-year-old Townsend told the victim who was left with injuries requiring surgery at James Cook University Hospital. Prosecutor Miss Nath told Teesside Magistrates ' Court that the dog had 'locked his jaw onto her' and as she was 'in so much pain' she began punching the dog with her hands. While Townsend shouted at the dog, which had a collar and lead on, and pulled him off the victim, reports the Chronicle. Ms Nath added that Sandy 'was almost touching her face' describing that she was '1cm away' and was trying to bite the woman. She had her knuckles near her eyes to protect herself, the court heard. But Sandy, who also had a collar and leash on, bit the victim on her hand causing injury and she was left bleeding. The victim managed to push the dog away and believed Sandy 'ran away" while Townsend was 'still trying to control' Tyson. The court heard how the victim went to a family friend's home near the park as blood was gushing from her leg and she was in "unbearable pain". She was rushed to James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough and was admitted for surgery. The victim fainted whilst in the urgent treatment centre and suffered a panic attack, the court heard. She received stitches to her wounds which included a bite mark to her groin alongside a number of injuries to her left hand. Townsend was interviewed by police and when asked if the dogs attacked the victim he gave a 'no comment' response. He denied that Sandy had launched an attack. Ms Nath outlined that Townsend had owned the dogs for four years but added that he "hadn't trained them to be aggressive but the previous owners hadn't treated them well". The Crown Prosecution Service instructed that the dog be assessed and it was ruled that Sandy is 'safe'. The report was ' shocking ' to district judge Helen Cousins, as she said she was 'troubled' by the report due to the 'level of aggression shown by Sandy and the injuries caused". Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. The court also heard that Tyson had been destroyed which Townsend agreed to. Judge Cousins told Townsend that he made the choice to walk both dogs at the same time despite 'knowing there was a problem', referencing the fact that one dog was muzzled. The judge decided that the crimes crossed the custody threshold and sentenced Townsend to four months in prison. However, she suspended the jail time for 18 months. However, due to the hand injuries that were 'deep enough for surgery', she made a contingent destruction order for Sandy meaning that she will 'not be destroyed at this time'. Judge Cousins ruled that the dog must be muzzled and on a lead at all times in public places and must never be walked with another dog. Townsend must also complete 10 rehabilitation activity requirement days, 120 hours of unpaid work and pay the victim £300 compensation. 'That is not reflective of what I think the injuries are worth, I have to be practical in what can be paid,' the judge added, clarifying that the compensation must be paid before money is taken from his fines account.
BBC News
28-03-2025
- BBC News
Police called to report of stabbing in Loughborough town centre
Police cordons were set up in a town centre as officers were called to reports of a services were sent to Ashby Square in Loughborough, Leicestershire, at about 19:00 GMT on were set up outside McDonald's in Market Place and a second cordon was placed in Ashby Borough Council leader Jewel Miah said the cordons were no longer in place on Friday morning. A spokesperson for Leicestershire Police confirmed officers were called to reports of a stabbing on Thursday evening.
BBC News
24-03-2025
- BBC News
Fines proposed to tackle illegal moorings in Surrey
Penalties of up to £1,000 could be implemented to tackle illegal boat moorings on parts of the River Thames after a council in Surrey won a legal Borough Council said residents living near the riverside had complained about unapproved boat moorings, litter and illegal boat moorings was part of the authority's Public Space Protection Order (PSPO), which it approved last Trower, the deputy chair of the National Bargee Travellers Association (NBTA), argued the rule was "draconian" and it would "punish people for the simple act of living in their homes". He challenged the council in High Court over the PSPO, arguing the terms of the order were too "vague" to be the council won the court case meaning the PSPO can go ahead with another round of public consultation on the clarified council said it aimed to introduce the PSPO by spring and for it be in place until March new rules could restrict unapproved moorings to a 24-hour limit at Ditton Reach, Albany Reach, Cigarette Island, Cowey Sale and Hurst Park, and Surrey County Council's land adjacent to Hampton Court bridge at Parrs mooring, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
