SEATON DELAVAL VIOLENT OFFENDER MICHAEL PEDERSON SENTENCED FOR BRUTAL ASSAULTS IN NORTHUMBERLAND

In a series of disturbing and violent incidents that unfolded over a single night, Michael Pederson, a 28-year-old resident of Astley Road, Seaton Delaval, was found guilty of multiple assaults that left several victims traumatized and injured. The events took place across different locations in Northumberland, highlighting a night marked by reckless aggression and brutality.

According to court records, the first assault occurred around 8.40 pm on September 28 of the previous year in Holywell, Northumberland. Pederson, accompanied by Daniel Barrass, approached a man who was sitting in his car with his girlfriend. Without any apparent provocation, Pederson began shouting abuse at the victim. Witnesses reported that Pederson attempted to incite his dog to attack the man, but when the dog refused, he took its chain and started hitting the victim with full force, using an overhead swinging motion. The assault escalated as Pederson proceeded to smash the windows of the victim’s BMW with the chain, causing damage that cost over £1,000 to repair.

Neil Pallister, the prosecutor, explained that the victim, who was a former cage fighter and boxer in training, described the attack as unprovoked. The man suffered bruising and swelling on his arms, along with swelling and a cut to the back of his head. He expressed his shock and fear, stating, “I have no idea why they treated me this way, I was petrified, not only for my safety but for my girlfriend. I feel angry and disgusted by what happened.” The victim also emphasized the severity of the incident, noting that it could have been much worse, and expressed relief that he was able to walk away from the attack. The physical damage to his vehicle and the psychological trauma he endured have left lasting effects.

Later that evening, around 8.45 pm, Pederson and Barrass visited a social club in Seaton Delaval. The club staff, recognizing Pederson as a barred individual, politely asked him and Barrass to leave. In response, Pederson unexpectedly punched a member of the club’s committee, leaving him in pain and visibly shocked by the assault.

Shortly thereafter, the focus shifted to a 15-year-old boy, who cannot be identified for legal reasons. The teenager was in Astley Park, Seaton Delaval, with friends when Pederson and Barrass approached them. The pair demanded that the youths empty their pockets, but the boys refused. The situation escalated when the teenager went to a nearby takeaway but returned after learning that his friend had been forcibly thrown into a bush. Confronting Pederson, the boy challenged him, saying, “Do you think you are a big man, attacking a 14-year-old lad.” Pederson responded with a threat, saying, “I will have you then,” but the boy expressed his desire to avoid trouble.

What followed was a brutal and unprovoked attack. Mr. Pallister detailed that Pederson delivered a right hook to the boy’s face, causing a cut. He then pinned the teenager to the ground and continued assaulting him, with Pederson putting his fingers into the boy’s eyes in an apparent attempt to gouge them. The victim was punched in the stomach, bitten on the neck, and Barrass joined in the assault by hitting him in the ribs and the back of the head. The attackers also kicked the boy three times in the ribs and twice in the head. The young victim, who was left unable to see out of one eye, staggered away from the scene as the assailants fled.

The injuries sustained were severe: bruised ribs, a cut under his eye, a superficial bite mark to his neck that necessitated hepatitis injections, along with lacerations, grazes, and a deviated nasal septum. In his victim impact statement, the boy expressed profound distress, stating that he had gone from being “confident and joyful” to feeling suicidal as a result of the attack. He condemned the actions of Pederson and Barrass, emphasizing that their behavior was deplorable and that they posed a danger to him and his friends. The boy also voiced his fear of encountering them again and expressed a desire to stand up against bullies.

Further legal issues arose when Pederson, while on bail, assaulted police officers attending a domestic dispute between him and his partner on June 21. During this incident, he threatened the officers with a dumbbell when they attempted to ask him to leave the premises.

Pederson pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including assault occasioning actual bodily harm, possessing an offensive weapon, criminal damage related to the attack on the man in Holywell, and common assault on the social club committee member. He also admitted to assaulting the 15-year-old victim, causing actual bodily harm, and assaulting emergency workers. The court was informed that Pederson has a lengthy criminal history, with 37 previous convictions, including offenses related to outraging public decency.

In mitigation, John Wilkinson, representing Pederson, acknowledged that the defendant’s guilty pleas were a significant factor in his sentencing, suggesting that this was perhaps his only mitigating circumstance. Pederson was ultimately sentenced to a total of 30 months in prison at Newcastle Crown Court. The court’s decision reflects the seriousness of his actions and the need for accountability in cases of violent and unprovoked assaults in the community.