Rob Kennedy

Newcastle drug dealer Raza Hussain was sentenced to four years in prison after admitting multiple offences involving the supply of cocaine, cannabis, MDMA and ketamine, possession of criminal property, and transferring criminal property. He was first arrested in May 2023 after police found cocaine and cash in a car, but resumed dealing after being granted bail. A later operation found more cocaine, cash and phones, while police identified more than £127,000 in unexplained deposits into his bank accounts. Kirstie Stewart, who admitted involvement in cocaine supply, received a 21-month sentence suspended for two years and 200 hours of unpaid work. A Proceeds of Crime Act hearing will determine further action over Hussain’s assets.

Sarah Wilson received a suspended eight‑month sentence after admitting unlawful wounding for stabbing an 84‑year‑old man she lived with and cared for following a confrontation in which he punched her and put her in a headlock. She called emergency services, and the victim required surgery and later moved into residential care. The court accepted her plea to a lesser charge, citing her vulnerabilities and lack of prior convictions, while imposing an 18‑month suspension and a five‑year restraining order.

A father, Josh Rooney, violently assaulted his son in public after a drunken argument about the time, leaving the victim unconscious and severely injured. The attack continued despite attempts by witnesses to intervene, and bystanders feared the son had been killed. Rooney, who has a history of prior convictions, admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm and received a two‑year suspended sentence, unpaid work, alcohol monitoring and a five‑year restraining order. The victim reported long‑lasting physical and emotional impacts, including lost wages, social withdrawal and fear around intoxicated individuals.