Pair jailed after man is stabbed outside Hartlepool primary school

Bethany Howard, 30, passed a knife to her boyfriend, Joshua Walker, 27, who plunged it into the victim’s head.

Walker claimed that the other man was the aggressor in the incident outside a Hartlepool primary school.

But a jury convicted them and the judge said that Walker could have walked away from the dispute.

Bethany Howard and Josh Walker have both been jailed for their roles in the stabbing of a man outside a Hartlepool primary school.

The couple both had previous convictions involving knives, said prosecutor Sam Faulks.

Both were drug users and Howard was on prison licence from a six-year sentence imposed in 2018 for robbery, Teesside Crown Court was told.

Mr Faulks said that CCTV footage showed Howard passing the knife to Walker in the stabbing on May 12 last year.

Walker, of Grange Road, Hartlepool, was sentenced to six years in custody, plus three years on extended licence, for wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, possession of a knife and common assault on a man who tried to intervene.

Bethany Howard has been locked up at Teesside Crown Court.

Howard, of Charterhouse Street, Hartlepool, was jailed for 27 months for unlawful wounding and possession of a knife.

Uzma Khan, defending Walker, said in mitigation that the Crown acknowledged that the victim was the “instigator” .

Crook demanded £1,500 in Hartlepool Middleton Grange Betfred robbery and ‘threat…

As he was led away to the cells, he shouted to Howard who appeared over a videolink from Low Newton Prison: “Beth I love you.”

Josh Walker has been jailed at Teesside Crown Court.

Shaun Dryden, defending her, said in mitigation “that she had been recalled to jail to finish serving her previous sentence and that she had engaged well with its mental health and drug services”.

He added: “She tells me that she will endeavour to live a law-abiding life.”

Judge James Brown told Howard and Walker: “Back in January the jury convicted you of significant roles in what was serious offence.

“You in broad daylight armed yourself with a knife, you came across a man with whom you had a previous disagreement and outside a school you stabbed him in the head.

“It took place in public outside a school and it was serious for that reason. The CCTV shows that you could have walked away.

“Two inches lower and the consequences would have been significantly worse, and you, Howard gave, him the knife.

“The jury were clearly convinced that you egged Mr Walker on.”