MARK NEWTON AND SHOCKING SEXUAL OFFENCES IN DURHAM
2021 In March 2021, a series of heinous crimes committed by Mark Newton, a 29-year-old man from Annfield Plain in County Durham, came to light during a court hearing at Newcastle Crown Court.Newton was found guilty of multiple serious offenses involving two women, including sexual assault, threats with weapons, and physical violence, revealing a disturbing pattern of predatory behavior.
The court heard that Newton subjected one of his victims to a terrifying ordeal where he sat on her and threatened to blind her with a cigarette.
During this assault, he pulled her eye open and held the lit cigarette dangerously close to her eye, causing immense fear and trauma.
Prosecutor Gavin Doig described Newton as posing a high risk of causing serious harm to women, emphasizing the severity of his actions and the danger he represented.
Further details revealed that Newton had used a knife to threaten another woman before raping her.
During this assault, he ominously told her, “I’m going to make sure this f****** hurts,” indicating his intent to inflict pain and suffering.
The court also learned that Newton had held a machete while threatening to cut a different victim’s vagina, while also restraining her by the throat.
These threats were accompanied by physical assaults, including assault by penetration with his fingers, and threats to kill her family members if she did not comply with his demands.
The victims provided emotional testimonies, describing the profound impact the assaults had on their lives.
One victim stated that the experience had left her feeling unable to be alone in her own home, citing ongoing physical and mental health struggles.
The other victim expressed her fear for her life and her continued anxiety about being in her own house, illustrating the lasting trauma inflicted by Newton’s actions.
Newton pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including one count of rape, two counts of assault causing actual bodily harm, controlling and coercive behavior, assault by penetration, and threats to kill.
His guilty pleas came after a series of violent and threatening acts that demonstrated a pattern of controlling and abusive behavior.
In sentencing, Judge Recorder Mark McKone described Newton as a dangerous offender who posed a significant threat to women.
He sentenced Newton to 14 years and three months in prison, with an extended license period of five years.
The judge condemned Newton’s extreme desire to degrade his victims, noting that he had grabbed both women by the throat, threatened them with knives, and expressed no remorse for his actions.
The pre-sentence report indicated that Newton showed no responsibility for his crimes, dismissing the victims’ accounts as “a load of s***” and describing them as “psychos.” Judge McKone emphasized that Newton believed he had done nothing wrong and appeared to have manipulated the legal process to his advantage by pleading guilty.
The court’s decision underscores the seriousness of Newton’s crimes and the ongoing threat he poses to the safety of women in County Durham and beyond.
2023- A man who is already serving a lengthy prison sentence for sexual violence has been handed an additional 11-year term after being convicted of multiple rapes against another woman.
Mark Newton, previously sentenced to a total of 14 years and three months along with a five-year extended licence, was deemed by a judge at Newcastle Crown Court in March 2021 to pose a high risk of causing serious harm to women due to his violent and sexual assaults on two victims.
Today, Friday November 24, Newton appeared before Durham Crown Court to be sentenced after admitting to four counts of rape, one count of attempted rape, and two counts of assault causing actual bodily harm.
These offences occurred just weeks before a scheduled trial for the same charges, but Newton chose to plead guilty instead of proceeding to trial.
The court was informed that the 32-year-old defendant, formerly residing at South View Gardens in Annfield Plain near Stanley, has an earliest possible release date for his previous convictions set for January 2030.
However, due to the severity of his latest crimes, he may be required to serve until October 2034 before being eligible for parole, and he will now begin serving his new sentence.
It was revealed that Newton’s recent offending took place during the period when he was already committing offences for which he had been previously convicted.
These new crimes only came to light after he was taken into custody for his earlier offences, highlighting the ongoing danger he posed.
Dr.
Chris Wood, who provided a victim impact statement, detailed the brutality of the assaults.
In some instances, Newton used physical violence, including one occasion where he tightly gripped a victim’s neck and ominously told her, “I hope you have said goodbye to the kids.” This act caused her to black out.
When she regained consciousness, Newton dragged her into a bedroom and attempted to rape her.
She struggled and tried to escape by climbing out of a window.
Despite her repeated protests that she did not want sex, Newton insisted, “You’ll do what I say.
You’ll live by my rules.” It was only after Newton was detained for his other offences that the victim came forward to provide a detailed account of her ordeal.
She described feeling “mentally and physically traumatised,” and now she avoids going out, struggles with sleep, and experiences panic attacks.
She is currently undergoing therapy to help cope with her trauma.
During interviews, Dr.
Wood noted that Newton appeared to be “effectively in denial” about his actions.
In mitigation, defence lawyer David Callan explained that once medical reports confirmed Newton was fit to plead, he admitted to the charges several weeks before the trial was scheduled to begin.
Mr.
Callan also mentioned that Newton suffers from ADHD as an adult and is on medication for it.
He added that since Newton’s transfer from HMP Northumberland to Durham Prison, he has adopted a “positive attitude” towards serving his sentence.
“He’s taking it day by day and just wants to focus on completing his time and awaiting his hearing before the Parole Board,” Mr.
Callan stated.
Judge James Adkin expressed his firm belief that Newton qualifies as a “dangerous offender,” emphasizing that he poses a significant risk of committing further serious offences, especially against women.
Addressing Newton directly, the judge stated, “You have now shown yourself capable of serious sexual offences against three women.” The judge sentenced Newton to a further 11 years in prison, along with a three-year extended licence period.
The new sentence is to run consecutively with his existing sentence.
Newton will be required to serve at least two-thirds of this new term before being considered for release by the Parole Board, underscoring the serious nature of his crimes and the ongoing threat he poses to the community.
