Yahoo News South Tyneside Metro station lout with 'appalling' record walks free after unprovoked attacks
Metro station lout Amber Dunn has avoided following her brother and ex-partner to prison after they terrorised two innocent members of the public.
Two men were targeted in separate unprovoked attacks while going about their business in South Tyneside after having the misfortune to encounter siblings Colin and Amber Dunn and Kurtis Wiscombe.
As we reported previously, Colin Dunn and Wiscombe were jailed for their part in the ugly scenes. Now Amber Dunn, who recently found out she was pregnant, has been given a suspended sentence after a judge decided to "take a punt" on her despite her "appalling" record of previous convictions.
Judge Stephen Earl, at Newcastle Crown Court, told her: "You have a record a person in their 50s or 60s might expect if they were a career criminal, not someone at the age of 26, with what can only be described as a litany of offending. You have an appalling record, including violence, weapons and the like.
"The other two have gone to prison and that's the starting point in this case." He added that custody would not help her deal with her problems and said: "I'm going to pass a suspended sentence. I'm going to take a punt on you.
"There are some issues in your personal mitigation that lead me to believe I can draw back from an immediate custodial sentence. This is the last chance saloon for you."
She was sentenced to 12 months suspended for two years with a 90-day alcohol abstinence monitoring requirement.
Vic Laffey, defending, she she is remorseful for the way she behaved. He said she has learning difficulties and ADHD, as well as a hearing impairment.
He added: "She found out last week she's pregnant. She didn't know she was. She felt ill and was told she was 12 weeks pregnant.
"She now not in a relationship with people who knock her about and expect her to drink every day."
The offences happened on Sunday November 5 last year at Hebburn Metro station and were caught on CCTV. Two friends were waiting for a train when the three yobs got off a Metro and started calling one of them a "nonce" for no reason.
When that man got on the Metro, they turned on his friend, who was still on the platform, calling him a "nonce". Colin Dunn then approached him and punched him in the face and Wiscombe and Amber Dunn joined in the punching and kicking attack.
They began to walk off before Amber Dunn turned back and tried to grab the victim, who pushed her away, at which point Wiscombe said "get your hands off my lass" and punched him two or three times.
Colin Dunn then demanded the man's money, then his bag, before Amber Dunn alerted the others to security cameras in the area. The victim was left with a split lip. He said in a statement: "This incident left me feeling frustrated. I use the Metro all the time and rely on it for transport, particularly to attend my place of work.
"This was totally random and unprovoked. I'm now more aware of my surroundings. This has made me worry and I'm very aware of people being loud on public transport.
"This was a totally random attack which shows any member of the public was not safe from them. This could have been so much worse for me when there were moving trains in the area."
As the trio left the Metro station, they encountered another man. Colin Dunn repeatedly punched him with a left hook and the victim was kicked and stamped on. Wiscombe shouted a racist insult as he walked away.
That victim said: "I felt scared because I was cornered. My arm was badly swollen.
"I'm confused about why I was attacked by them - I was doing nothing to affect them. I'm just trying to live my life and this has affected me"
Police were called and the three of them were arrested. Amber Dunn kicked the back window of a police car, damaging it.
Colin Dunn, who has 44 previous convictions, pleaded guilty to robbery and assault occasioning actual bodily harm, Kurtis Wiscombe, who has five previous convictions, admitted racially aggravated harassment alarm or distress and assault occasioning actual bodily harm and Amber Dunn, of Fairless Street, South Shields, who has 53 previous convictions, admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm and criminal damage.
Colin Dunn, 28, of Belgrave Terrace, South Shields, was jailed for three years and four months and Wiscombe, 27, of no fixed address, was locked up for 20 months.
Robin Turton, for Colin Dunn, said: "He had stayed out of trouble for five years. He had a blip and returned to cocaine and was intoxicated through drink on this day, having been on what's commonly called a bender.
"He has no recollection of the events and is embarrassed and ashamed about how he behaved. He would like to write a letter to the victim apologising for the way he behaved. He is deeply sorry for what he has done wrong and wants to do his best to once again stay out of trouble in the long term."
Jennifer Coxon, for Wiscombe, said he has autism and accepts his behaviour needs to change.
