This is the terrifying moment a drugs gang set a car ablaze and ran an SUV into a living room while a mother and four young children were home.
Seven members of an organised crime gang have now been jailed for a total of almost 100 years after wreaking a ‘weekend of violence and destruction’ in County Durham, police said.
A Mitsubishi Shogun was rammed into the front of a house in Hartlepool on January 7 while four children and their mother were sleeping inside.
The property was the home of one of gang leader James Stephenson’s alleged rivals. No injuries were reported.
The gang also smashed up the parked car on the drive with baseball bats before setting fire to it and making off, leaving the blaze dangerously out-of-control.
James Stephenson, leader of the gang, was jailed for 16 years and nine months
The Mitsubishi Shogun involved in the weekend of destruction was found burnt out
The crime group have now been jailed for a combined total of 94 years following a large-scale police investigation, nicknamed Operation Coastal.
The smallest sentence given out was for five years – but the longest was almost 20 years.
Despite initially denying the charges, the seven were forced to admit the offences at Newcastle Crown Court.
After the initial night of violence on January 7, officers from Durham Constabulary were called to reports of an aggravated burglary in Horden on January 8.
Shortly after, news came into police of two shops being ramraided with a stolen Transit van, in nearby Fifth Street.
One gang member, Graeme Oliver, contacted Stephenson to warn him and members armed themselves.
Stephenson, the owner of a tanning salon and vape shop, was captured on CCTV piling into a second Mitsubishi Shogun alongside other gang members and speeding off.
This is the terrifying moment a drugs gang set a car ablaze and ran an SUV into a living room while a mother and four young children were home
On arrival outside the shops, the occupants of the vehicle fired several shots in the direction of the van.
Both vehicles left the scene in a pursuit and were last seen in the Haswell area and the Mitsubishi Shogun was later found burnt out.
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Enquiries led armed officers to a remote farm nearby where a bullet casing, including one identical to those fired in Fifth Street, was found.
A bottle of accelerant dropped outside the house in Hartlepool also provided key DNA evidence.
After initially denying the charges put before them and in some cases offering no comment in interviews when questioned by detectives, they admitted all the offences at Newcastle Crown Court in June.
Detectives used the CCTV to create a timeline of movements and data from several digital devices, including messages on mobile phones, was used as vital evidence to piece together what had happened and who was involved.
Several magistrates’ warrants were executed under the Firearms Act in the days that followed and recovered a gun, ammunition, and heroin and cocaine with a street value totalling £75,000.
However, the gun fired during the incident on Sunday, January 8, has never been recovered. A spent casing from the same gun fired during the ramraid was found at a farm linked to Paul Frain and matched casings found at the scene in Fifth Street.
The following sentences were today handed out at Durham Crown Court:
- James Stephenson – 16 years and nine months;
- Wayne Griffin – 19 years and 9 months;
- Connor Ellison – 13 years;
- Jonathan Miller – 16 years and nine months;
- Shane Leigh – nine years;
- Graeme Oliver – five years and four months;
- Paul Frain – 14 years.
Drugs, including heroin and cocaine, were found at Seventh Street address in Hordon
Ramraided shops with a stolen Transit van in Fifth Street, Horden
The incidents led police to launch a complex investigation, uncovering digital and forensic evidence.
Operation Coastal saw a 100-strong team of officers and staff examine more than 400 hours of CCTV, analyse communication data, gather information from the community and execute a series of dawn raids on several properties.
Detective Superintendent Andy Reynolds, Senior Investigating Officer for Operation Coastal at Durham Constabulary, said: ‘Incidents like this are very rare in County Durham and Darlington. I hope this investigation sends out a clear message to criminals that we will not tolerate such extreme violence on our streets.
‘Durham Constabulary quickly mobilised a significant level of resources to investigate this offence and bring the offenders to justice.
‘Given the nature of the crimes they commit, members of organised crime gangs will do what they can to avoid facing punishment, but the overwhelming evidence gathered in this case meant they had no option but to plead guilty to all charges.
‘The outcome in this case is a testament to our communities who stood up and said this was completely unacceptable. I would like to thank them for their continued help and support.
‘I am extremely proud of all our hard work, this was a real team effort, which has ultimately brought these men to justice and made County Durham and Darlington a safer place to live.’
