North Shields man who tampered with electricity meters avoids jail
A criminal from North Shields - who promised to help people beat the cost of living by tampering with their meters - has avoided jail
A North Tyneside criminal who advertised on Facebook to help people “beat the cost-of-living crisis” and get “free electricity” by tampering with their meters has avoided jail.
Calvin Smith’s offending was discovered following a fatal fire in which Leah Casson, 18, died at her home in Vicarage Street, North Shields, North Tyneside, in January 2023.
Mr Justice Cotter, sentencing, told Smith he was “not Robin Hood” and that illegally tampering with electricity meters left people and property at risk.
Newcastle Crown Court heard Smith posted on Facebook offering his services for free, with a message saying: “Beat the cost-of-living crisis, free electricity, get your meters wired.”
Ms Casson’s mother Danielle Johnson knew Smith through her partner Craig Watson, and the defendant tampered with her pre-paid meter, allowing her to use hundreds of pounds of electricity for free between August and November 2022, the court heard.
Richard Wright KC, prosecuting, said Smith only needed 10 minutes to bypass the meter.
The prosecution said experts found the method he used was different from others and was “inherently dangerous” in that it caused components to heat up, creating a “slow-burn” effect.
Mark McKone KC, defending, said Smith, from North Shields, was seeking help with his drug addiction and his rehabilitation generally.
Mr Justice Cotter handed Smith a 16-week jail sentence, suspended for two years and ordered him to do 200 hours of unpaid work and 18 months of probation after the defendant admitted a single charge of abstracting electricity.
The judge said: “You are not Robin Hood, your thinking is warped on this.
“You justify it saying you are helping someone with limited options.
“It is a deliberate, dishonest act leaving people at risk, when fires happen in people’s houses, people die.”
Smith, Ms Johnson and her partner – who died in prison – were charged with Ms Casson’s manslaughter but the charges were dropped.
Earlier this month, Ms Casson’s mother was handed a conditional discharge for abstracting electricity which related to the same period as Smith, some weeks prior to the fatal fire.
At the previous hearing, Mr Wright said expert evidence revealed the electricity meter may not have caused the fire, which had been the prosecution’s case.
Northumbria Police initially treated the fire as arson, and at the time Ms Casson’s loved ones paid tribute, saying: “Leah was an outgoing, bubbly young woman who we loved so much and we can’t believe she has gone.
“Please let us grieve for her as a family and respect our privacy at this time.”