Latest news with #NewcastleCrownCourt
BBC News
4 days ago
- BBC News
South Shields fraudster stole £64k from his grandfather
An "evil" fraudster who stole £64,000 from his own grieving grandfather has been jailed for two and a half Frier, 26 and from South Shields, repeatedly lied about having a job and needing money for education courses over three and a half years, Newcastle Crown Court grandfather, who lost his wife shortly before the fraud began in 2021, said he was "ruined" with his live savings gone and him having to pay back a £4,000 loan Frier had persuaded him to take who fabricated photographs of himself pretending to be at work and created fake bank emails, admitted fraud by false representation. 'No reason to doubt' In January 2021, Frier told his family he had started work under a scholarship scheme and needed money for training courses, tuition fees and accommodation costs, prosecutor Gurjot Kaur took pictures of himself pretending to be working out at sea using equipment he took from a friend, the court grandfather, whose wife died in 2020, agreed "without hesitation" to send money and had "no reason to doubt" his grandson's claims he would be repaid once Frier was qualified, the court was of Fowler Street, took "further advantage" of his grandfather's trust by manipulating him into taking out a £4,000 bank loan, with the money then immediately transferred to the fraudster's account, Ms Kaur offending came to light in August 2024 when Frier's grandfather went into a local branch of his bank to say his grandson had asked for a further £12,000, with staff quickly recognising the emails he was showing them were scams, the court total, Frier fraudulently obtained £64,414 from his grandfather. 'Never trust him again' In statements read to the court, Frier's grandfather said he had worked hard for 49 years to build up his savings and enjoy a comfortable and "peaceful" retirement, but his grandson had taken that all away with his "evil" scheme and "betrayal".The victim said finding out his grandson had been stealing from him was "more heartbreaking" than losing his wife, adding he felt a "terrible pain of rejection and loss"."I am emotionally ruined," the man said, adding: "I will never get over this, I can never trust him again."The court heard he still having to pay off the £4,000 loan at a rate of £360 a month. In mitigation, Peter Sabiston said Frier accepted his conduct was "shameful" and he was now "completely isolated" from his own family, which was "his own fault".Recorder Christopher Knox said Frier's crime was "mean, nasty and cynical", with the fraud conducted in an elaborate, "startling and outrageous way"."You used the money to live a life you didn't deserve," the judge said."You owe money to everybody. You will never be able to enjoy the respect and affection of your family because of the cloud you have brought upon yourself."A restraining order banning Frier from contacting his grandfather was also made. Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
Daily Mirror
6 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Bizarre story of Sycamore gap duo and moment that 'tipped them over the edge'
Former friends turned enemies, Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers, were convicted of criminal damage to the immensely popular Sycamore Gap tree, which they claimed was felled in a 'drunken prank' The two men who cut down the famous tree at Sycamore Gap out of "sheer bravado" have now been put behind bars. But their three-minute "moronic" destruction of the much-loved tree, which had stood for more than 100 years in a fold in the Northumberland landscape, will never be forgotten. The two were once pals with locals saying the plot saw "the man with no friends" - Daniel Graham, 39 - team up with "the man with no brains", Adam Carruthers, 32. Graham soon turned on Carruthers, tipping police off that he had cut down the iconic landmark in September 2023. The pair, who were each jailed for four years and three months, were convicted of criminal damage to the tree along with criminal damage to Hadrian's Wall, caused when the sycamore fell on the ancient monument. Newcastle Crown Court heard the pair had travelled more than 40 minutes from their homes in Cumbria, then carried their equipment across pitch-black moorland during a storm to carry out the act of vandalism. A wedge, which still hasn't been recovered, was taken from the tree as a trophy, while they revelled in national and international media coverage following the wrecking. So what drew the pair to carry out the felling? And was it more than just a "drunken prank"? Motive riddle Defending their case, the pair offered an underwhelming excuse for the infamous felling, claiming that it was a drunken prank. Despite their defence arguing that the act was "no more than drunken stupidity", neither the prosecution nor the judge were convinced. Andrew Gurney, for Adam Carruthers, insisted: 'People want to know why? Why did you conduct this mindless act? Unfortunately, it is no more than drunken stupidity. 'He felled that tree and it is something he will regret for the rest of his life. There's no better explanation than that.' On Tuesday Mrs Justice Lambert jailed the pair, saying their motivation was still not clear but a large factor seemed to be 'sheer bravado'. She told the defendants: 'Felling the tree in the middle of the night in a storm gave you some sort of thrill. You revelled in the coverage, taking pride in what you have done, knowing you were responsible for the crime so many people were talking about. 'Whether that was the sole explanation for what you did, I do not know, however I know you are both equally culpable.' Graham said that Carruthers had kept part of the tree as a 'trophy'. That accusation was put to Carruthers when he was asked under cross examination at the trial if he had kept a section of the trunk as a souvenir for his newborn daughter. It is believed that Carruthers had also cut down a tree to mark the birth of his first born daughter Charlie on Sept. 5, 2018. He wanted to go 'one better' for his second child Olivia and take a piece of the iconic sycamore. Like Graham, he had offered a series of pathetic lies to cover up his senseless crime, telling jurors that it was "just a tree" and he "did not understand" all the headlines. However, it was apparent he formed a "strange interest" in the Sycamore Gap tree, and in his workshop kept a length of string which he'd used to measure the circumference, knowing that when the time was right, he would cut it down. The "right time" for Carruthers came when Olivia, his second child, was born. Just 12 days later he and Graham set out in a black Range Rover to retrieve a "trophy" for her, a wedge cut from the trunk of what Carruthers called: "The most famous tree in the world." Friends to enemies The defendants were once close friends but have fallen out since their arrests, with Graham turning on Carruthers. Detectives received a call naming both the men responsible for the crime, and Graham found himself at the centre of a social media storm of abuse. He was forced to remove his name from his business vehicles and, in an anonymous phone call to Northumbria Police, named Carruthers as the man who had cut down the tree. When court proceedings first commenced, the pair turned up together, both dressed in balaclavas to hide their identities. But soon enough, Graham turned up alone, without any face covering. Giving evidence at his trial, Graham admitted he and Carruthers had been close but claimed he had 'no friends'. "You could say I am anti-social," he said. "I don't have much time for people." He claimed he had taken his car and phone without his permission on the night the tree was cut down. Graham's Range Rover was picked up on automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras between Carlisle and Sycamore Gap at night on September 27 2023, and returning early the next morning. His mobile was traced to phone masts making the same journey. The judge said that, after admissions they had both made in pre-sentence reports, she could now be sure that Carruthers cut the Sycamore Gap tree down while Graham drove him there and filmed it on his phone. She told them: 'Adam Carruthers, you told a probation officer you had no idea why you carried out the crime and could offer no explanation. You said you had drunk a bottle of whisky after a tough day and everything was a blur. 'Daniel Graham, as during the trial, your main focus seemed to be to heap as much blame as possible on your co-defendant. You now accept you were present but blame him for what happened that night.' The judge went on to say: 'You told the probation officer it was (Carruthers') 'dream and his show' and you just went along with it.' Mrs Justice Lambert said: 'Although there may be grains of truth in what you said, I do not accept your explanations are wholly honest or the whole story. 'Adam Carruthers, your account that you had so much to drink that you had no memory of what happened is not plausible. The tree felling demonstrated skill and required deliberate and co-ordinated actions by you… It was not the work of someone whose actions were significantly impaired through drink. 'Nor, Daniel Graham, do I accept you just went along with your co-defendant. You filmed the whole event, you took photos of the chainsaw and wedge of trunk in the boot of your Range Rover. The next day, you appeared to revel in coverage of your actions in the media. 'This is not the behaviour of someone who is shocked and horrified by what has happened.' Vandal's grudge Carruthers tried to portray himself as a devoted dad and claimed that he was at home with partner Amy on the night the tree was cut down. But he could come up with no explanation for the series of texts and voice note messages he and Graham exchanged. Chris Knox, defending Graham, said: 'He is a troubled man who has had very real difficulties in his life, which have not all been of his own making.' His home, and the business he operated from it, were attacked after he was remanded in custody, anxd windows broken, the barrister said. Meanwhile, in the run up to the 'moronic mission', Graham held a grudge against authorities who rejected his bid to live near Hadrian's Wall and was locked in a bitter planning dispute with his local council. He was issued with an enforcement notice by Cumberland Council for his home and business premises at Millbeck Stables on the edge of Carlisle, Cumbria, within Hadrian's Wall 's UNESCO World Heritage site 'buffer zone'. Residents and planning officials from Beaumont Parish Council, a remote Cumbrian rural community, told how they felt threatened by Graham's 'dominant and oppressive behaviour'. The council rejected his retrospective bid to live on the site of his Millbeck Stables and warned he faced eviction. He was told he had until October 28, 2025, to find 'other accommodation', but he'll now be living out the next few years in prison. But the decision means Graham will have no home to come back to when he is released from his sentence. A final letter of refusal was made in April, 2023,with the Sycamore Gap tree felled little more than five months later. Several locals objected to his application to live on the site, and believe his rage against authority may have been part of his motivation for the crime.
BBC News
6 days ago
- BBC News
South Shields paedophile got boys, nine, to abuse each other
A paedophile who pressured two nine-year-old boys he met online into sexually abusing each other has been jailed for 10 years and four MacFarlane, 20, also twice met up with a 13-year-old boy and filmed the child performing a sex act upon him, Newcastle Crown Court mothers of his victims said his actions had been devastating for the from South Shields, admitted 29 offences including breaching an interim sexual risk order (ISRO) by hiding a vulnerable 16-year-old boy in his home and downloading indecent images of children. MacFarlane was 18 when he met a nine-year-old boy through his PlayStation and persuaded the child to start messaging him on SnapChat, prosecutor Nicoleta Alistari June and November 2023, MacFarlane sexually abused the child online and pressured the boy into sending videos of him performing graphic sex acts on another nine-year-old, the court heard. Indecent images haul Meanwhile, MacFarlane was also messaging a 13-year-old boy he had met on Facebook, Ms Alistari met up with the boy and filmed the youth performing a sex act upon him, then offered the child money to meet up and do it again, the court also had a stash of indecent images of children on his phone and tablet, the court been arrested and released under investigation, MacFarlane was made subject of an ISRO banning him from having contact with people under he breached that within months by having three 16 year old boys round to his home, one of whom he made hide in a cupboard when police called round looking for him, Ms Alistari also had a phone, computer console and memory stick he had not informed police about in violation of his order, with a folder containing more indecent images of children discovered by officers. 'Boys grievously affected' In a statement read to the court, the mother of MacFarlane's 13-year-old victim said her son was extremely vulnerable and his behaviour massively deteriorated because of the paedophile's mother of one of the nine-year-old boys said she was shocked to find he had been targeted online and her son had become aggressive and more infantile since the mitigation, the court heard MacFarlane had been sexually abused when he was 10 years old and was immature. Judge Gavin Doig said MacFarlane's offending was of the "utmost seriousness" and there was "no doubt whatsoever those children had been grievously affected".He said MacFarlane knew he was "in trouble" for messaging children but still breached the posed a "high risk of serious harm" to children and "very high risk of sexual contact offending", the judge been deemed a "dangerous offender", MacFarlane will have to serve a further four years on an extended licence upon his eventual release from must sign the sex offenders register and comply with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order restricting his contact with children for life. Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
News.com.au
7 days ago
- News.com.au
Men who chopped down historic tree jailed for four years
The Sycamore Gap tree in the UK was almost 200 years old when two men decided to chop it down. Now, Daniel Graham, 39, and Adam Carruthers, 32 will spend four years in jail for the deliberate, 'moronic' act of vandalism that saw the iconic and much-loved tree felled. On the dark and stormy night of September 28, 2023, the pair – armed with a chainsaw – travelled to a field near Crag Lough in Northumberland, England. There, sounds muffled by the sounds of Storm Agnes, they chopped down the majestic sycamore tree that toppled onto the nearby Hadrian's Wall. The pair were each convicted of destroying the tree and damaging the ancient wall, which was built by the Romans almost 2,000 years ago and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Judge Christina Lambert sentenced the pair in Newcastle Crown Court to four years and three months for what prosecutors described as a 'moronic mission' on Tuesday, local time. Judge Lambert said there was a high degree of premeditation but the motive remained unclear. Rejecting a claim by Carruthers that he was drunk, she said the pair had likely done it for the 'sheer bravado'. 'Felling the tree in the middle of the night and in the middle of a storm gave you some sort of thrill,' she said. 'You revelled in the coverage, taking evident pride in what you had done, knowing that you were responsible for the crime which so many were talking about.' It is understood the act was filmed on Graham's mobile phone, with messages between the pair revelling in the act read to the jury. Graham and Carruthers had denied the offence before accepting responsibility when speaking to probation officers, their lawyers said. It was the first time in the UK that someone had been sent to prison for illegally felling a tree. The Sycamore Gap tree, which used to sit between two hills in the far north of England, was a much-loved spot to locals, for picnics, birthdays, proposals or to spread ashes. It saw a rise to fame after appearing in Kevin Costner's 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves, and was voted English 'Tree of the Year' in 2016.
South China Morning Post
7 days ago
- South China Morning Post
2 men who cut down UK's beloved ‘Robin Hood Tree' jailed for over 4 years
Two men found guilty of the 'mindless' and 'deliberate' felling of one of the UK's most iconic trees, which sparked national outrage, were on Tuesday jailed for more than four years. A jury at Newcastle Crown Court found former friends Daniel Graham, 39, and Adam Carruthers, 32, guilty in May of criminal damage for the 2023 felling of the tree at Sycamore Gap. It had stood for nearly 200 years next to Hadrian's Wall, a Unesco World Heritage site in northern England. The tree was so striking that it featured in the 1991 Hollywood film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. Sentencing the pair at the same court, Judge Christina Lambert said their actions had involved a 'high degree of planning and preparation' and caused widespread 'shock and bewilderment'. For those who lived in the county the tree had become 'a landmark, a symbol of the beauty of its untamed landscape', she said. Graham and Carruthers each received a sentence of four years and three months. Both men were convicted on two counts of criminal damage to the sycamore and to the Roman wall, which was damaged when the tree fell on it.
