Live News: November 20, 2012 (James Allen Murder Trial) (From Darlington and Stockton Times)
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Live News: November 20, 2012 (James Allen Murder Trial)
10:33am Tuesday 20th November 2012 in News
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- Reporter Graeme Hetherington will be sending updates live from the James Allen murder trial.
- Our reporters will be sending updates throughout the day keeping you informed about what's happening around the North-East and North Yorkshire.
- Get involved: Tweet pictures or video from around the region to us using hashtag #echopix
4:56pm
Det Supt Peter McPhillips, of Cleveland Police, said Allen was an extremely dangerous and violent individual who showed arrogance throughout
— @graemeecho 20 November 2012
4:56pm
Ms Davison's family issued a statement after Allen's conviction saying they were still struggling to come to terms with what happened to her
— @graemeecho 20 November 2012
4:55pm
Mr Justice Openshaw said the murders were of brutality and savagery. They were murdered in their own homes in the process of robbery.
— @graemeecho 20 November 2012
4:01pm
James Allen sentenced to 37 years minimum for double murder.
3:43pm
Allen made no reaction when the verdicts were read out but there was a cheer of 'yes, yes' from the public gallery
3:41pm
Allen made no reaction when the verdicts were read out but there was a cheer of yes, yes from the public gallery
— @graemeecho 20 November 2012
3:39pm
James Allen has been found guilty of the murder of Middlesbrough pensioner Colin Dunford and Julie Davison of Whitby at Newcastle Crown Court.
Our reporter Graeme Hetherington was in the court as the verdict was returned.
3:32pm
A couple are appearing at Newcastle Crown Court facing charges over the death of a baby boy.
Slater Sharkey was covered head to toe in 25 bruises when he died aged 13 months last December, the court has been told.
Prosecutors claim Richard Morgan, 32, of Tantobie, County Durham, abused the youngster over the 18 hours prior to his death. He is on trial for manslaughter.
Slater's mother, Victoria Peacock, 31, who lived at the same address and appeared in the dock next to Morgan, is charged with causing or allowing the death of a child and child cruelty.
Both deny the charges.
3:06pm
MILITARY FUNERAL: Lt Edward Drummond-Baxter's long-term friend Alex Goldsmith tells the Gurkha's funeral at Durham Cathedral he was the best man, best soldier, best gentleman and best friend he ever knew.
2:56pm
Just interviewed Leo Moran of the fabulous @sawdoctors . Would have love to have done it over a beer, but he was back home in Ireland. They are in the region next week, York Grand Opera House on Tuesday and Stockton Arc on Wednesday. Also appearing at the Newcastle Academy on December 19.
2:11pm
The subject of this weekend's Car Torque in the Northern Echo's Weekend magazine is none other than @BBCLater 's Jools Holland. To come Keith Chegwin, Springwatch's Simon King and Marek Reichman, the man who designs Aston Martin's for a living and graduated from Teesside Polytechnic.
2:04pm
A CIVILIAN worker at Durham Prison has this morning pleaded guilty to possession of extreme pornography. Andre Michele Savell, of Bearpark, in Durham City, appeared before Durham Crown Court to plead guilty to 21 counts of possessing porn, some of which featured children and others animals. He is to be sentenced next month.
12:55pm
WOMEN BISHOPS: Rt Rev Justin Welby, Bishop of Durham and next Archbishop of Canterbury, urges Church of England's General Synod to 'finish the job' and vote for women bishops.
The compromise before Synod today is 'as good as we can get', he says.
11:33am
MILITARY FUNERAL: Durham Cathedral funeral for Lieutenant Edward Drummond-Baxter this afternoon. The Consett soldier was shot in Nahr-e Saraj by a man wearing an Afghan police uniform.
11:21am
DAVID Cameron's former spin doctor Andy Coulson and ex-News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks will be charged as part of the investigation into alleged corrupt payments to public officials, the Crown Prosecution Service has announce this morning.
11:20am
The jury has retired to consider its verdict in the James Allen double murder trial.
— @graemeecho 20 November 2012
11:20am
Judge tells the jury he is unable to help them anymore and reminds them he would like a unanimous verdict but would accept a majority one.
— @graemeecho 20 November 2012
11:13am
Jurors being given a laptop to look through all CCTV footage and digital evidence.
— @graemeecho 20 November 2012
11:11am
Mr Justice Openshaw has concluded his summing up of evidence and is now giving jurors directions.
— @graemeecho 20 November 2012
11:11am
Jury hearing about evidence Mr Allen gave during cross examination from prosecutor Robert Smith. Allen denied being penniless when in Whitby
— @graemeecho 20 November 2012
11:01am
Attempts by police to trace someone called Scott, who Allen said served time in prison with him, proved fruitless, the judge tells the jury.
— @graemeecho 20 November 2012
11:01am
Allen said during his evidence he couldn't give more details about Scott as he was a criminal and couldn't be seen to be a grass.
— @graemeecho 20 November 2012
11:01am
The judge reminds the jury that Mr Allen admitted he sold a laptop in Leeds market but denied saying it was from a 'bad robbery'.
— @graemeecho 20 November 2012
11:00am
Judge Mr Justice Openshaw tells the jury that it is for them to decide whether that actually happened.
— @graemeecho 20 November 2012
11:00am
In evidence Allen said a man called Scott gave him a laptop and a waterproof jacket from Ms Davison's flat.
— @graemeecho 20 November 2012
11:00am
Allen said a woman came out of her flat to ask him to be quiet - she was polite and courteous. Allen said he didn't know she was Ms Davison.
— @graemeecho 20 November 2012
11:00am
Judge going through Allen's evidence detailing his movements in Whitby and Scarborough. He went to the flats in Church Square to buy drugs.
— @graemeecho 20 November 2012
10:36am
James Allen has entered the dock as the judge prepares to conclude his summing-up.
— @graemeecho 20 November 2012
10:35am
The deadline for Football League loan signings is 5pm on Thursday. By January, expect a number of PL clubs to be making Downing offers #Boro
— @Scottwilsonecho 20 November 2012
10:34am
Today could be the last day of the James Allen double murder trial with the jury probably going out by lunchtime.
— @graemeecho 20 November 2012
10:34am
Waiting for the start of the James Allen trial. The family of Julie Davison is in the public gallery.
— @graemeecho 20 November 2012
