Category: Newcastle

They’ve all appeared at North Staffordshire Justice Centrestokesentinel Administrator10:34, 16 Jun 2026Updated 15:45, 20 Jun 2026Lee Ferns, aged 53, admitted two charges of possessing a class B drug.Here are the latest cases from the region’s courts:LEEK: Fifty-three-year-old Lee Ferns was handed a 12-month conditional discharge by magistrates at North Staffordshire Justice Centre after he admitted two charges of possessing a class B drug. Ferns, care of Prince Charles Avenue, Leek, has 45 previous convictions for 95 offences and was searched by police in Leek on October 30.Prosecutor Alexandra Youster said: “He admitted he was in possession of a bit of weed and whizz. Police recovered a bag of herbal cannabis and three wraps of white powder. He was voluntarily interviewed. He admitted being in possession of cannabis and amphetamine.”The offences placed him in breach of a conditional discharge he received on May 8, 2025 for three charges of possession of drugs.Iain Haley, mitigating, said Ferns became homeless and the drugs were for his personal use. But he has been accessing addiction services and is now clean of drugs. He is now living in a caravan and volunteering at St Paul’s Church in Leek.Magistrates took no action on the breach of the conditional discharge. They sentenced Ferns to a 12-month conditional discharge for the drug matters. He was ordered to pay a £26 surcharge.NEWCASTLE: DJ Jonathon Chapman has been banned from the roads for 14 months after he was caught drink-driving. The 36-year-old had performed as a DJ at a Newcastle venue and was travelling home towards junction 15 of the M6 when police stopped him in Clayton Road, Newcastle, in the early hours of May 23.Prosecutor Alexandra Youster told North Staffordshire Justice Centre that information was passed to the police that Chapman may be driving under the influence of alcohol.Miss Youster said: “The driver was stopped. The defendant gave a positive roadside sample and was arrested and taken to custody where he gave an evidential sample of 48 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, against the legal limit of 35.”Chapman, of Lansbury Avenue, Wednesbury, pleaded guilty to drink-driving.Andrea Wilkes, mitigating, said Chapman works as a carpenter during the day and is a part-time DJ. He travelled to Newcastle to DJ and had a couple of drinks early in the evening. He had his own intoxiliser, which showed he was under the limit but when he was stopped by police he was over the limit.Miss Wilkes added: “He realises he should not have had his drink early doors.”Magistrates fined Chapman £461 and ordered him to pay £85 costs and a £184 surcharge. His ban will be reduced by 14 weeks if he completes a drink-drivers’ rehabilitation course.BIRCHES HEAD: Drink-driver Oliver Hankey has been banned from the roads for 13 months. North Staffordshire Justice Centre heard the 24-year-old forklift truck driver was showing-off to a friend on the way home following a night at a snooker hall.Prosecutor Alexandra Youster said Hankey was stopped by police driving a Volkswagen Polo at speed in Park Hall Road, Longton, on December 5.Miss Youster said: “It was suspected he was under the influence of alcohol. He gave a positive breath sample at the roadside and was taken to custody where his reading was 43 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, against the legal limit of 35.”Hankey, of Handel Grove, Birches Head, pleaded guilty to drink-driving.Andrea Wilkes, mitigating, said Hankey had two pints of lager.She said: “He and his friends were in high spirits. He realises now that is what alerted police to him. He accepts he was probably showing off a little bit because he had another person in the car.”Magistrates fined Hankey £426 and ordered him to pay £85 costs and a £170 surcharge. His ban will be reduced by 13 weeks if he completes a drink-drivers’ rehabilitation course.STOKE: Mum Rachel Gladwin has been hit with a £253 court bill after she assaulted her partner. The 33-year-old assaulted her victim following a row at their home on February 4.Prosecutor Lee Stone said: “They were shouting at each other. He said she shouted, ‘You are not going to see me ever again’. She was red in the face with anger. As she walked past she elbowed him causing him to be winded.”Gladwin, of Cornwallis Street, Stoke, pleaded guilty to assault by beating.Andrea Wilkes, mitigating, said the relationship was coming to an end.Miss Wilkes said: “She went upstairs to try to calm the situation. He stood by the door. She barged him out of the way and left. He reported the matter to the police.”Magistrates fined Gladwin £120 and ordered her to pay £85 costs and a £48 surcharge.BALL GREEN: Forty-four-year-old Lee Johnson jumped on a car roof causing £400 damage. North Staffordshire Justice Centre heard Johnson jumped from a seven-foot wall in Whitfield Road, Ball Green, on to a parked Ford Fiesta on May 25. Johnson, of New Garden Street, Stafford, pleaded guilty to criminal damage. Simon Leech, mitigating, said Johnson fully accepts he should pay for the damage. Magistrates ordered Johnson to pay £400 compensation.Ensure our latest headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search

A car has crashed into a B&M store. Pictures from the scene show an overturned car against the wall of Burslem B&M, on Waterloo Road.The collision was reported to The Sentinel at 9.05pm tonight.A Sentinel reader said: “There were two ambulances and two fire engines at the scene.”The Sentinel has approached Staffordshire Police, West Midlands Ambulance Service, and Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service for statements regarding the collision. Any witnesses can call the police on 101.This is a live blog. For the very latest traffic and travel news follow our live blog below.

And it’s going to open soon!MyActive in Leek soft play centreThis is the massive soft play area at a revamped North Staffordshire leisure centre. The facility inside the soon-to-reopen Brough Park Leisure Centre in Leek is one of many impressive upgrades at the hub.MyActive, which is running the centre, has shared a video of the soft play which has zones for toddlers and juniors. Works have been ongoing since the facility shut in September last year with Staffordshire Moorlands District Council previously saying it was on track to get back open in the summer.The local authority had previously shared images of the £17 million upgrade that includes a 25-metre main pool, separate teaching pool, an extended fitness suite, and café, along with revamped outdoor space. In addition there will also be a ‘community wellness suite’ for beginners, those undergoing post-injury rehabilitation, or GP referrals.A post on the MyActive Leek Facebook page has given a sneak peak at the soft play.The team wrote: “How incredible is the new soft play area at MyActive Leek? Our brand new facility at Brough Park really does have something for everyone. Opening this summer – details coming soon.”Get daily headlines and breaking news emailed to you – it’s FREEEnsure our latest headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search

Here’s everything you need to knowInside Proper Golf LeekAn indoor golf simulator is opening today. Proper Golf Leek is on Ball Haye Road, in Leek.It opens on Friday 19 June – and gives golfers the chance to play some of the sport’s most-iconic courses and holes. It also has a site in Yorkshire.In a social media post, Proper Golf Leek states: “Proper Golf is officially opening its doors on June 19 and our state-of-the-art indoor simulators are ready for action. Whether you’re looking to dial in your swing, play a round on world-class courses regardless of the weather, or just kick back on the leather sofa with some friends, we’ve got you covered. Don’t miss out on being one of the first to experience it.”For more information about Proper Golf Leek – and to book – click here.Get even more North Staffordshire exclusives – and it is free

Police are at the scene of a Stoke-on-Trent bus crash. They have been dispatched to Williamson Street, in Tunstall, near its junction with High Street.Pictures from the scene appear to show a collision involving a bus and a car. The Sentinel was alerted to the incident at 4.20pm this afternoon.The Sentinel has approached Staffordshire Police for a statement following the collision. Any witnesses can call the police on 101.This is a live blog. For the very latest traffic and travel news follow our live blog below.

Prosecutors have dropped court action against a woman charged with ‘causing a public nuisance’ on an A500 bridge. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) had charged a 46-year-old Newcastle-under-Lyme woman with causing a public nuisance.It followed the repeated closure of the M6, A500, and Northwood Lane due to welfare concerns over the course of A week. But the CPS has since withdrawn the charge after the case was heard at North Staffordshire Justice Centre.The incident happened on Friday 5 June. The Sentinel has chosen not to name the defendant at the centre of the court case.A CPS spokesman said: “The case was withdrawn by the Crown Prosecution Service in court having determined that it was not in the public interest to pursue a prosecution.”Staffordshire Police and West Midlands Ambulance Service had been called to the bridge.A police spokesman said: “We were called at 9.45pm on Friday 5 June to Northwood Lane following concerns for the welfare of a woman near junction 15 of the M6 at Hanford interchange. Council highways closed the A500 southbound carriageway while emergency services attended the scene. The woman was assisted to safety and the road reopened at 12.50am the following morning.”An ambulance service spokesman said: “We were called to an incident on Northwood Lane and sent a specialist paramedic and a paramedic officer to the scene. On arrival, crews found a woman who was assessed and discharged and left in the care of police.”Get even more North Staffordshire exclusives – and it is free

Police have taped-off a car. Pictures from the scene show a black car wrapped in police tape on Cruso Street, in Leek.A damaged blue car is also inside the police cordon. The drama unfolded this afternoon.A Sentinel reader said: “Police and firefighters are at the scene.”The Sentinel has approached Staffordshire Police and Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service for statements regarding this afternoon’s incident. Any witnesses can call the police on 101.This is a live blog. For the very latest on this incident follow our live blog below.

Staffordshire County Council has spent more than £35,000 on security guards at meetings after one was halted by protesters in December. The Reform UK-led authority has been deploying private security guards at County Buildings in Stafford on a regular basis after police were called to the demonstration by anti-racism campaigners on 11 December.Figures released following a Freedom of Information request show that the total spend on security at County Buildings from 11 December to the end of April was £35,381. Security guards were used at 31 meetings over this five-month period, stationed at the entrances and inside the building.In the whole of 2024/25, the council only spent £330 on security at County Buildings.Opposition councillors have raised concerns over the cost to the taxpayer, but the council insists that the security guards are needed to keep people safe.A spokesperson for the authority said: “After the police were called to a disturbance at a meeting, it became necessary to increase security at County Buildings both on safety grounds and to allow business to continue without interruption.”While this has come at an additional cost to the public purse, the safety of everyone attending our public meetings must be the priority.”Security guards in the council chamber during a meeting in February(Image: Local Democracy Reporting Service)The full council meeting in December was brought to a halt when members of the Stafford Campaign Against Racism and Fascism started chanting from the public gallery. They were demanding the resignation of several Reform councillors who had been accused of making racist comments on social media.Just days before the meeting, Councillor Ian Cooper had stood down as council leader, after Reform had revoked his party membership over undeclared social media accounts.The meeting was suspended and police were called, with officers escorting the protesters from the building after around 40 minutes. It was claimed that during the disturbance, an item was thrown from the public gallery and struck a councillor.Staffordshire Police confirmed that there had been no arrests and no injuries reported. Since then security has been ramped up for all public council meetings at County Buildings.Members of the press and public are still allowed to watch meetings, but they are told to remove their coats and may have their bags searched.Conservative opposition group leader Philip White believes Reform are to blame for the situation.He said: “While it is important that all councillors feel safe, this is another sign of how toxic the political environment has become in Staffordshire since Reform UK took control of the county council. This is now costing taxpayers financially. Reform seem to want to push the blame for this onto others. Instead, they need to take responsibility for the actions of their councillors, which is the biggest reason we find ourselves in this situation.”Liberal Democrat Stafford borough councillor Alec Sandiford has previously raised concerns over the level of spending on security guards. He says there should be more transparency on the issue.Cllr Sandiford said: “The figures are staggering and raise serious questions about the priorities of the Reform administration.”Nobody disputes that councillors, officers and members of the public should be safe when attending council meetings. However, residents will rightly question how spending has escalated from virtually nothing to tens of thousands of pounds in such a short period of time.”The key question now is: who authorised this spending, on what evidence, and what democratic oversight was there before taxpayers’ money was committed?”Get daily headlines and breaking news emailed to you – it’s FREE

A teenage boy was “left shaken but unhurt” after reportedly being dragged out of a car by five men before it was stolen, said police.Officers were called to the reported carjacking at a car park close to football fields on Lower Milehouse Lane, Newcastle-under-Lyme, at about 17:00 BST on Friday, Staffordshire Police said.The black Mercedes was abandoned on the road after crashing into the central reservation on Ryecroft.Two men, aged 22 and 19, and a 17-year-old boy, all from Newcastle-under-Lyme, have been arrested on suspicion of robbery, the force added.The 17-year-old was also arrested on suspicion of theft of a motor vehicle, dangerous driving and failing to stop.They have been bailed while the investigation continues.Police are appealing for anyone who saw what happened or who has relevant CCTV, dashcam or doorbell footage.They asked people to call 101, or call Crimestoppers anonymously.Police have appealed for anybody who saw the crash to contact them [BBC]Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram. Related internet links

Mr Lewis is now on his third ball of his near-3,000-mile trip – which he hopes will reach its end just before the World Cup final.He’s raising money for St Giles Hospice, which helps those with terminal illnesses and their families through the toughest moments of their lives – including his father David, who died in 2011.”When I was 11, I was having to go and see my dad when he was in the hospital – at a point in time where his cancer had really, like had an impact on him. For me to see him in a hospital where he’s not comfortable was quite tough,” he said.In a hospice, he had his own space – which was vital for the family, Mr Lewis added.Every year, he has fundraised for St Giles Hospice through a different running challenge – and is now pushing to raise £100,000 through his monumental run.WATCH THE CLIP ABOVE FOR MOREKeep reading…Show less