Fugitive who spent five years on the run after assaulting North Shields neighbour is jailed

In May 2018, Christopher Regan lashed out and caused a 3cm cut to the rival's forehead after he was asked to turn his loud music down at 3am.

Newcastle Crown Court heard pipefitter Regan was questioned and charged but then fled the country and found work in Spain and Portugal.

He eventually handed himself into the authorities abroad and returned to the UK to ‘face the music’.

The 59-year-old, of no fixed address, has now been jailed for a total of 20 months after he admitted causing grievous bodily harm and failing to surrender.

Prosecutor Neil Pallister told the court in May 2018 Regan's downstairs neighbour at flats in North Shields, North Tyneside, had complained of problems with him, "particularly noise issues".

At around 3am on May 5 that year, the victim and his wife had been woken up by loud music and went to Regan's flat to complain.

Mr Pallister said: "The defendant came to the door and the complainant described him being aggressive towards him, shouting 'knock on my door again and I will kill you'.

"The complainant states he was scared and intimidated by the defendant's size and behaviour and said 'look, just turn the music down please'.

"The defendant was shouting at him. The defendant produced a rubber mallet and struck him on the forehead using the mallet."

The court heard the victim suffered a 3cm cut that needed steri-stripped and glued and said the attack, which was witnessed by his wife, left them both traumatised.

The family moved home because of what happened and were told Regan had absconded overseas.

The victim added: "We wondered often if he had crept back into the country. Not knowing where he was left us anxious, confused and frustrated."

Jamie Adams, defending, said on the night of the attack, Regan had been "mischievous" in turning his music up, louder than he would have normally, after he had been drinking.

Mr Adams said Regan had been "at odds" with the neighbours over trivial irritations but is "deeply sorry" for what he did and added: "He feared very much what was going to happen to him so decided to leave the country.

"That has not been an altogether happy situation for him.

"Given he does have a trade as a pipefitter he was able to very easily find work in different parts of Iberia.

"He did come back to face the music."

Mr Recorder Sufqat Khan sentenced Regan to 20 months behind bars and told him: "Your failure to surrender was a deliberate attempt by your to evade theauthorities and justice.

"It was a substantial delay of a number of years."