Shaun O’Connor

Shaun O’Connor

43, Male Custodial

Darlington, County Durham

Offender ID: eac0fcc4-53e8-4302-9699-eebda0ee1578

Offence Summary

Shaun O’Connor strangled his mother and stamped on her body during a violent attack at her Darlington home, following previous convictions including sexual assaults on women and a sex act in a police cell.

Full Description

Shaun O’Connor, a 43-year-old man from Darlington known by the nickname 'Chop Off', carried out a brutal assault on his mother at her home in the town. The incident occurred after O’Connor flooded the bathroom and shouted threats to kill her, prompting his mother to confront him about his behaviour.

According to details heard at Teesside Crown Court, O’Connor grabbed his mother in a headlock, wrapped a towel around her head, and strangled her in a sustained attack. She resorted to playing dead in a desperate bid to make him stop. The violence escalated as he stamped all over her body, leaving her fearing for her life. This attack formed the basis of charges including attempting to inflict grievous bodily harm, intentional strangulation, and two counts of criminal damage, to all of which O’Connor pleaded guilty.

The court has a history with O’Connor, who has prior convictions for assaulting his mother, such as pushing her into a bush on Christmas Day and wrapping masking tape around her face on another occasion. In 2023, he was sentenced to two years in prison for a series of offences that included sexually assaulting two women, exposing himself to another woman, assaulting an innocent man, and performing a sickening sex act in a police station cell following his arrest. These prior sexual offences highlight a pattern of violent and sexually inappropriate behaviour.

At a recent hearing at Teesside Crown Court, Recorder Paul Reid ordered a new psychiatric report into O’Connor’s mental state, despite the defendant’s pleas to be sentenced without it. O’Connor, whose address was listed as HMP Holme House, told the judge: "I deserve to get sentenced - it will be almost 18 months by April. I did the criminal act and I deserve to be sentenced - there's nothing wrong with me. I'm in prison, I don't need to go to a mental health unit." His sentencing for the latest offences is scheduled for 10 April.

The case was reported by The Northern Echo, with coverage by crime reporter Graeme Hetherington, drawing on proceedings from Teesside Crown Court in Middlesbrough.

Location

City: Darlington

County: County Durham

Case Details

Police Force: Durham Constabulary

Name heritage (predicted origin)

Country: Ireland

Confidence: 95%

Special Thanks

A huge thank you to Durham Constabulary for their tireless dedication in bringing this offender to justice. Your commitment and hard work truly help keep our communities safe, and we are deeply grateful.

Source: thenorthernecho.co.uk

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