Police cell criminal damage charge against Hartlepool man is withdrawn

The case against a man accused of damaging a police cell has been withdrawn.
By Gavin Ledwith
Published 6th Jan 2021, 13:33 BST
Updated 6th Jan 2021, 13:34 BST
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Lewis Akers has instead received a caution on condition that he pays £145 towards the cost of repairing the cell.

Akers, 28, of Conway Walk, Hartlepool, was taken to a police station in Middlesbrough on November 3, 2019, in connection with assault allegations.

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Both he and Councillor Stephen Akers-Belcher, 41, the former Mayor of Hartlepool, of Westbrooke Avenue, Hartlepool, were initially charged with two counts each of committing assault by beating in Hartlepool on the same date.

A charge of causing criminal damage to a police cell has been withdrawn at Middlesbrough's Teesside Magistrates' Court.A charge of causing criminal damage to a police cell has been withdrawn at Middlesbrough's Teesside Magistrates' Court.
A charge of causing criminal damage to a police cell has been withdrawn at Middlesbrough's Teesside Magistrates' Court.

They denied the allegations, which were said to involve the same men, and were due to stand trial at Peterlee Magistrates’ Court in October 2020.

But all the assault charges were thrown out on the morning of the trial after none of the four prosecution witnesses turned up.

The criminal damage charge was formally withdrawn at Teesside Magistrates’ Court, in Middlesbrough.

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