Would-be Sainsbury s robber identified by distinctive facial tattoo A MAN who was released from prison found himself back behind bars just hours later when he attempted to rob a shop. Kelvin Porter walked away from Durham Prison on the morning of April 24 but soon found himself on the wrong side of the law after demanding cash from a staff member at the Sainsburys store on Duke Street, Darlington. Teesside Crown Court heard how Porter told police that he knew he would be caught because of his distinctive tattoos around his left eye. The 42-year-old, of no fixed abode, was jailed for 20 months after he pleaded guilty to attempted robbery.
The former church and community centre on Milbank Road A SERIAL arsonist has been jailed for eight years for setting fire to a Grade II listed derelict church building. Stefan Geary caused significant damage to the derelict building when torched it while sleeping rough in the former community centre. The fire destroyed the roof of the building and left one the gable walls in a highly dangerous condition. Fifty-year old Geary had just finished a 15 year sentence for his sixth offence of fire-raising when he caused £200,000 worth of damage to the building in South Bank, Middlesbrough, on September 29 last year.
Two gruesome North East Victorian hangings: George Vass and Mary Ann Cotton
A new book focusing on execution in 19th century Britain takes an in-depth look at the cases of murderer George Vass and serial killer Mary Ann Cotton
Sign up for our
free newsletter on
Dave Morton s nostalgia and local history stories sent direct to your inboxInvalid EmailSomething went wrong, please try again later.
Subscribe
When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they’ll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. OurPrivacy Noticeexplains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time.
» Deirdre Whelan
Martina Shanahan’s life began in 1965. The youngest of six, my baby sister was born at home in Rathfarnham, Dublin I remember the night, even though I was only five at the time. I remember waking up to the sound of a baby crying, and when I said it to my sister Mary, she told me “Go back to sleep. It’s only cats”. Next morning, there was Martina in my mother’s arms and our life together began.
Ours was a Republican home. We were brought up with stories about my aunt Jennie Shanahan, who had fought in City Hall in 1916, and my grandfather Patrick Shanahan who also took part in the Rising. Our father was an active Republican and made us very aware of what was happening in the North. I remember in the early seventies, we had children staying with us, who had been brought South to get a break from the pogroms that were happening in Belfast and other parts of the North.