Attempted murder trial delayed again for two Hartlepool brothers due to Covid-19 backlog

Lee and Tony Clarke had been due to go on trial for the alleged attempted murder of Shaun Brown in April which was postponed to Monday, August 17.

Mr Brown is understood to have been found with serious head injuries at an address on Catcote Road on Saturday, November 16 last year.

But trials are still not taking place at Teesside Crown Court due to the Covid-19 situation with most cases being dealt with remotely.

An update on the day the trial was due to go ahead, heard the earliest a case of its length can be dealt with at Teesside is August 23 next year.

It was relisted for Monday, April 26, just over 100 miles away in Sheffield.

Judge Stephen Ashurst said: “As everyone knows, this case ought to be tried by a jury at Teesside today but because of the national health crisis and the suspension of criminal trials, not just here but across the country, all parties know that it’s not possible to start the trial today.”

He added: "A delay of year between a trial or upwards of a year is wholly undesirable and one that all parties would wish to avoid.

"The court has a duty to see whether the case could be heard earlier even if it means moving to another court centre."

Both men also deny grievous bodily harm of Shaun Brown and burgling properties in Fieldfare Road and Catcote Road on November 16.

Lee Clarke, of Wingfield Close, Hartlepool, is 31, while Tony Clarke, of Wharton Terrace, is 32.

Both also deny grievous bodily harm of Shaun Brown and are burgling properties in Fieldfare Road, and Catcote Road, Hartlepool, also on November 16.

Lee Clarke also faces a separate allegation of criminal damage to a door of a social club and contacting a woman in breach of a restraining order imposed at Teesside Crown Court on November 8, 2016.

The brothers were remanded in custody until a further review of the case at Teesside Crown Court on September 14.

A message from the Editor:

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to the Hartlepool Mail website and enjoy unlimited access to local news and information online and on our app.

With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit here to sign up. You can subscribe to the newspaper with 20% off here.

Thank you.