Some of the most bizarre criminal cases in the North East this year were dealt with by the region's lower courts.
From the drunk mourner who threatened to kill his neighbours after being thrown out of a wake, to a man who claimed to have a "20-year hobby" of carrying knives when he was caught in possession of a blade, there have been a fair few unusual appearances before JPs over the last 12 months.
Below we have rounded up some of the strangest cases Chronicelive has covered in the magistrates' courts during 2022.
Read More: Benwell son of Tyneside doctor jailed for peddling Spice on streets of Newcastle and having taser
David Whinham
The 45-year-old intercepted a couple's post and repeatedly made false allegations about them to the police during a year-long stalking campaign. The nightmare neighbour also regularly took photographs of the victims as they went about their daily lives, including as they sunbathed, and left them suffering from severe stress and anxiety.
A court heard Winham even falsely informed financial companies that one of the couple was a criminal. For 12 months the pair were forced to endure regular visits "at all times of the day and night" from the police and their landlords after Whinham made unfounded complaints about noise.
On one occasions, he dialled 999 and alleged the victims, a man and woman, were singing loudly from a karaoke machine, despite them not owning one or having one in their house, Newcastle Magistrates' Court was told.
In January last year, Whinham, of Victoria Square, in Sandyford, Newcastle, was given a 12-month community order after he pleaded guilty to one count of stalking.
Prosecutor, James Long, said Whinham targeted his neighbours for 12 months between August 2020 and August 2021. Mr Long continued: "Both parties live in a multi-storey block of flats, which is managed by Places for People.
"Since August 2020, [the victims] have suffered a period of substantial harassment from this defendant and another. There are various strands to it. The defendant has, principally, been making unfounded complaints to their landlords and the police about alleged behaviour and noise coming from the complainants' flat, all of which were found to be without merit.
"[The victims] had 27 visits from the police at all times of the day and night. In all the times police attended, nothing untoward has been found. For example, there were complaints made that the complainants were singing on a karaoke machine - they don't have a karaoke machine."
The court heard that Whinham also intercepted and opened the couples' post and made false allegations to financial companies that the male victim was a criminal, which had an impact on his claim for PIP benefits. Mr Long added: "The defendant has also been taking photos of the complainants for no reason when they were sunbathing or walking hand-in-hand down the street."
Tim Gregory, defending, said Whinham would argue that not all of the complaints to the police were fictitious. He added: "There was some genuineness about his approach at first, he just took it too far. The main allegation against Mr Whinham was the interception of the post. Lockdown didn't help and he felt trapped in his accommodation and had time on his hands."
Sentencing Whinham, District Judge Zoe Passfield said: "You opened someone else's post and your actions have had a serious effect on the complainants over the period of a year." Whinham was also ordered to pay £100 compensation to each victim and was made subject of a 12-month restraining order.
Nathan Gallon
The 26-year-old prolific fare-dodger clocked-up a staggering £16,000 in fines and costs after repeatedly failing to buy a Metro ticket. Between 2012 and 2021, Gallon used the Nexus service a total of 125 times without paying his way - and got caught.
Numerous subsequent appearances before magistrates meant the 26-year-old soon wracked-up an eyewatering bill in fines and costs, which he was ordered to pay off at the rate of £20 per month. However, Gallon stopped making deposits towards his debt and a Summons for Enforcement of Payment was issued.
Gallon, of St Johns Green, in North Shields, appeared at North Tyneside Magistrates' Court in February last year where he was told he faced a potential jail sentence. In total, it emerged Gallon owed £16,904.
Kash Khan, defending, said Gallon believed he had made payments, adding: "This is a young man with life-long problems. He comes from quite a disturbed family background.
"The vast amount of these fines are not from criminal offences but travelling on the Metro without having the funds to pay for the journey. That in itself, he accepts, is wrong but he does make these decisions in a split second.
"He is honest. I asked if someone else had been using his details to give to Metro and he said no, it was him, he doesn't want to lie."
Erdinci Mustafa
The 36-year-old claimed to have a "20-year hobby" of carrying knives when he was caught with a blade outside a Newcastle bookies. He was found with the weapon near William Hill, on the West Road, but played ignorant and said he didn't know it was illegal.
A court heard that police had been called to the scene by a member of public, who had seen Mustafa with the lock knife. The blade was discovered on Mustafa, of Two Ball Lonnen, in Fenham, when he was searched.
He appeared at Newcastle Magistrates' Court in April last year to plead guilty to possessing a bladed article in a public place. Prosecutor, Claire Armstrong, said officers were called to West Road on the afternoon of February 22 last year due to concerns of a man carrying a knife.
Miss Armstrong continued: "An officer spotted a male who matched the description and spoke to him. The male we now know as the defendant was searched. In the defendant's possession was found to be a lock knife with a 12cm blade.
"The defendant stated in interview that he didn't know that carrying a knife was illegal and he admitted carrying a knife for around 20 years as a hobby."
Magistrates heard that Mustafa had three convictions on his record. His solicitor, Matthew Purves, conceded that the case would need to be adjourned for a pre-sentence report.
Chairing magistrate, Keith Mcintosh, said: "You have pleaded guilty to this offence, which is a serious offence. You will get full credit for your early guilty plea when you're sentenced but we need what is called a pre-sentence report from the Probation Service." Mustafa was due back for sentence in May last year.
Cristi Chiriac
The 21-year-old threatened his neighbours with a sabre sword and a piece of wood after a dispute over parking escalated out of control. Chiriac took exception when another resident on his street in Benwell asked him to move his vehicle from in front of their home and park it outside his own property.
A court heard that the request made the 21-year-old see red and he immediately sought to arm himself. Magistrates were told that Chiriac grabbed a plank of wood from his car and began swinging it at the resident and his brother as they made desperate attempts to push him away.
A scuffle broke out and Chiriac was disarmed of the wood but still refused to walk away. Prosecutors said he then went back inside his home and pulled out a sabre sword, which he brought into the street and swung at the terrified men while shouting and swearing.
Others living on the road eventually came to assist and Chiriac was taken back inside his home address. Unfortunately for him, the whole incident was captured on CCTV and Chiriac, of Hampstead Road, in Benwell, was arrested.
He appeared before Newcastle Magistrates' Court in April last year where he pleaded guilty to possession of a bladed article and possession of an offensive weapon. Rehana Haque, prosecuting, said the victim and his brother were returning home on November 5 2021 when they noticed Chiriac had parked in front of their home.
As he was still on the street, so they asked him to park in front of his own house but he refused and replied with a barrage of abuse, Mrs Haque told the court. Reading from the victim's statement, Ms Haque continued: "The defendant then brought out an 80cm-long piece of wood.
"He had it in his right hand and was grabbing it with force and pointing it. He was swinging it at my brother four or five times. They were aggressive and with a lot of force.
"I tried to grab the wood but was unable to, so I began to push at the defendant in self-defence. At some point during this, two females came outside his address. I assumed them to be his mother and sister."
The court heard that Chiriac continued to swing the wood until he dropped it and returned to his car to pick up a charger box, which was thrown around amid the disturbance. Chiriac then disappeared back inside his property.
Ms Haque added: "He came back outside the address with a sword in his right hand. It was pointing downwards. It was 1m long with a curved blade and black handle. He began to swing it in the complainant's direction."
Eventually, four more residents on the street came out and ushered Chiriac back into his home, while the victims went to a nearby police station to report what had happened.
Michael Crowe, defending, said Chiriac, who has no past convictions, reacted after being "aggressively" told to move his car. Mr Crowe added: "On this particular day, Mr Chiriac was outside his address having a cigarette on the doorstep. The complainant and his brother, who are neighbours, were upset that a vehicle, which was actually Mr Chiriac's brother's, was parked outside their home, where they wanted to park.
"There's no allocated parking - you park where you can get a space. Although he accepts he's guilty of these offences, Mr Chiriac says there was some provocation. He claims the complainant was aggressive towards him and said "Watch what happens"."
Chiriac, who said the sabre was ornamental and belonged to his late father, was given a 12-month community order, with 120 hours of unpaid work, and must pay £85 costs and a £95 victim surcharge.
Lewis Elliott
The drunk mourner was thrown out of a wake and transported home by police before threatening to kill his neighbours.
A court heard Elliott turned up on the victims' doorstep in the early hours of the morning and immediately became verbally aggressive. The 41-year-old punched and kicked a garden gate before trying to barge past the terrified female victim and into her home.
Despite efforts to calm him down, Elliott continued to be abusive and shouted "I'm going to kill you all" and "I'm going to f******g kill you" whilst, again, trying to enter the property, prosecutors said. Eventually, after kicking items in the garden, Elliott left.
However, the police were called when the victim and her son discovered damage to their gate and Elliott, of Woodside Avenue, in Throckley, was arrested. In August last year, he was given a 12-month community order after he pleaded guilty to a public order offence and criminal damage at Newcastle Magistrates' Court.
Claire Armstrong, prosecuting, said the victim and her son were at home shortly after midnight on July 15 2022 when drunk Elliott turned up on their doorstep, shouting and swearing and asking where his girlfriend was. He was told to leave but continued with his aggressive behaviour and kicked and punched the garden gate.
Miss Armstrong continued: "Hearing the commotion, her son came to see what was happening. The defendant was still outside. He tried to push his way into the address but was stopped. [The son] tried to calm the defendant down but he said "I'm going to kill you all" and started offering to fight [the son].
"The defendant tried again to come into the house and shouted "I'm going to f******g kill you". Fearing for her safety, the victim shut the door on the defendant. He stayed for a while, kicking things in the garden, then left."
The court heard that Elliott, who has nine offences on his record, had been at a funeral earlier in the day and had been kicked out of the wake and taken home by police because of his drunk behaviour. He claimed to have lost his keys and gone to his neighbours to find his girlfriend but had no memory after that.
Sophie Allinson, defending, said Elliott was classed as a vulnerable adult who suffered from depression, learning difficulties and short-term memory loss. She added: "His partner is now his carer. He has significant learning difficulties and an IQ of a child."
Sentencing him to a community order, with a £100 fine, District Judge Zoe Passfield said: "The victims are not to blame for what happened that night. They were at home in the early hours of the morning. You turned up drunk and abusive and caused damage and that cannot happen again." Elliott was also ordered to pay each victim £100 each in compensation.
Daphney Iley
The championship dog show judge's 'snarling' Rough Collie was responsible for attacking her neighbour.
The victim was walking his daughter's Jack Russell/Chihuahua-cross called Coco on November 28 2021 when he came upon his neighbour Iley - who was walking five of her Rough Collies at the time. But as Mr Dawson passed, one of Iley's dog's, Hugo, began aggressively barking at Coco.
When the victim lifted his leg in an attempt to keep Hugo away, the other four were said to have surrounded him, before he was viciously attacked. The man, who curled into the foetal position in order to protect Coco from the "snarling" and "snapping" dog, sustained nasty injuries to his arm and hand, and told Newcastle Magistrates' Court he was fearing for his life as Iley stood "nonchalantly" watching.
The ordeal finally ended when another neighbour came to help and took the victim to a home for first aid. In October last year, the 78-year-old appeared at the court for a trial facing a charge of being a person in charge of a dog acting dangerously out of control and causing injury.
She denied the offence, claiming the victim's dog was the aggressor and that Coco had been the one that caused his injuries. However, magistrates found her guilty of the offence.
Giving evidence, the victim said he was walking Coco on Fawdon Park Road shortly before 11am when he saw Iley walking five Rough Collies, who were all off the lead. He said: "I saw the dogs coming across the road and I was concerned. I tried to walk around the outside then one of her dogs started barking at Coco. That dog became quite aggressive towards Coco, then all of the other dogs came over at once. I lifted my leg up to keep the dog back but they all came and tried to attack Coco in a relatively vicious manner."
The victim said that one of Iley's dogs was "snarling and snapping" while attempting to attack Coco - who was "yelping" in fear - he then picked Coco up to keep her safe. He said: "The dogs were all around me and I tried to kick them off. I don't know which dog it was, but it got hold of my foot and I fell and hit my head." The victim said he was "dazed" on the floor as a dog "took hold" of his hand, as he tried to stave the rest off. He said: "I was totally vulnerable and isolated and fearing for my life. Daphney was doing nothing. The dogs were going up my arm and biting me towards my face. I curled in a foetal position, I thought I was going to die."
The court heard the attack ended when the victim's neighbour came to his aid and "pulled him up". As he did, one of Iley's dogs "jumped up" at the victim and knocked him into a fence and "went for Coco". Following the incident, the victim was then walked to another neighbour's home for first aid before going on to a walk-in centre.
Stewart Hay, asking questions on behalf of Iley, put it to the victim that Coco was the aggressor and had caused his injuries by biting him. The victim said: "My little dog could not have caused those injuries to me."
The trial heard that Iley, who had no previous convictions, had been involved in showing dogs and judging them at championship level since 1987. During that time, she said she’s had “no problems whatsoever” with any of her dogs.
The court heard that Iley's dog Hugo was a "stud dog" and was taken to Milan, Italy, following the incident, where he remains. After the magistrates found Iley guilty, her solicitor, Mr Hay, asked the bench to take into consideration that she had no previous convictions and was an old age pensioner on a limited income and that the incident was a “one-off”. He added: “She also fears she will be banned from the Kennel Club.”
Iley was fined £201 and must pay £200 compensation to the victim. She was ordered to pay £734 court costs and must now only walk a maximum of three dogs at once and all must be on a lead. The court heard she will pay back £20 a month.
Read Next
Killers, perverts and robbers - the North East criminals locked up in 2022
Schoolboys threatened by drunken Newcastle knifeman after calling him a 'dirty old man'
Morpeth pervert who groomed girl, 14, online then met her outside her school jailed
Washington domestic abuser bit ex-partner's hand and punched her in face during drugs row
Wallsend pervert had vile sexual images of babies in his sick stash of child abuse photos
