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Third time lucky for Echoas thug is named

The Sunderland Echo has finally won the right to name a teenage tearaway who has terrorised Wearside.

City magistrates lifted the ban which protected the identity of 16-year-old Daniel Sayers, of Tadcaster Road, Thorney Close, at the paper’s third attempt.

The Echo highlighted the teenager’s criminal career more than a year ago, and made its first attempt to lift the ban on naming him in April last year – but were blocked by magistrates.

The Echo argued that Sayers’ persistent offending, and failure to respond to any kind of punishment, outweighed his right to remain anonymous.

Sayers – who has been arrested 139 times in five years – appeared before the city’s juvenile court for sentence after admitting violent disorder at a previous hearing.

Sentencing him to an 18-month detention and training order, the chairman of the bench said they had agreed to lift the ban on identifying him “to prevent further offending by yourself”.

As he was led away, crop-haired Sayers shouted obscenities at magistrates and swore: “I’ll be back for more.”

The court heard that Sayers had 16 previous convictions, relating to 67 separate offences.

His record includes convictions for robbery, assault, theft, burglary and criminal damage.

He has been arrested 15 times since the end of January – despite serving three separate custodial sentences.

This latest offence was committed within days of him being released on bail. Sayers’ record of offending while on bail is so bad that Home Secretary Jack Straw personally intervened and demanded details of the case.

Objecting to the Echo’s application, Sayers’ solicitor, Peter Jones, told the court that Sayers had seven brothers and sisters and the family were concerned about the effect on them of him being identified.

The city’s Youth Offending Team also objected to the move on the grounds that it would encourage him to offend further, said Mr Jones.

Outside the court Sayers’ mother, Jacqueline, swore at the Echo’s reporter, Kevin Clarke, as he left the court.

Assistant News Editor, John Howe, who has also worked on the story on the story in recent months, was delighted that the ban was lifted.

“It’s a great result,” he said.

“We splashed on the story, but the only disappointing thing was that we couldn’t get a picture of Sayers, because he’s been in custody for so long.”

The paper’s successful bid to lift the ban was in conjunction with the Sunday Sun.

Sunderland Echo editor Andrew Smith said in the paper’s comment column: “Sayers long ago foreited the right to have his behaviour shielded by reporting restrictions designed to protect wayward indiscretions of youth from blighting a young person’s character.”

He added: “Yesterday he defiantly shouted in court that he would be back for more when he is released from the 18-months detention order magistrates imposed on him. Maybe he will be, but next time he will be a marked man.”

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