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Three jailed after shooting

Northumbria Police

8 June 2011


Three men are starting substantial prison sentences totalling over 23 years after taking part in a shooting in North Tyneside last summer.
They were sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court on Wednesday, June 8, after Michael Curran and Terry March pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent.  Philip Croney pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit violent disorder.
Paul Borg, a 25-year-old Wallsend man was shot in the leg with a handgun fired from 20 feet away, across a busy street where young children were playing outside at teatime.
The three: Terry March, age 30, of Bewicke Road, Willington Quay was sentenced to 11 years, Michael Curran, age 30, of Edwin Grove in Wallsend to 11 years and Philip Croney, age 23, of Balmoral Street in Wallsend, given 21 months.
The shooting happened on Thursday, August 19, when March, Curran and Croney walked into Quay View, Willington Quay in Wallsend, and challenged Borg to a fight. This was the culmination of long running disputes between the group.
After the shooting the three fled the area. They were subsequently arrested in Liverpool on August 24, following a joint surveillance operation between Northumbria Police and Merseyside Police.  The shooting victim went on to make a full recovery.
Two other men were charged in relation to this incident.  The man who was shot during the incident, Paul Borg, 25, of Quay View, Willington Quay pleaded guilty to affray and Stephen Blackwell, 23, of Rothbury Gardens, Wallsend also admitted affray. Blackwell was sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court on Tuesday, June 7 to 12 months imprisonment, suspended for two years. Borg has not yet been sentenced.
Detective Chief Inspector Max Black, of North Tyneside Area Command, said: "Armed criminals must realise that if they choose to use firearms then Northumbria Police will use every available resource, including assistance from other forces, to ensure they are tracked down and brought to justice.
"We will not have armed people venting their anger on our streets, shooting people and putting many others, including young children, at risk of injury or worse.
"Armed fights on our streets are thankfully rare in the Northumbria Police area and we believe the substantial sentences handed down today shows that the court seeks to protect the public from this type of reckless violence. These men will have a long time to reflect on their behaviour while serving out their time."
Pictured left to right: Michael Curran, Philip Croney and Terry March.