Four men from Middlesbrough have been jailed following a violent ambush in North Ormesby that left one man dead and another seriously injured.
Planned, violent attack in a residential street
Teesside Crown Court heard the attack on 7 November 2025 was a planned assault by members of a drugs gang who lay in wait for their victims as they arrived in a car. The gang, wearing gloves and face coverings, used machetes and a BB pellet gun during the assault, which lasted around two minutes while the victims were trapped in a parked BMW.
The deceased was identified as Anthony Dickons, 44. He suffered catastrophic blood loss and died in hospital a week after the attack; his companion sustained multiple serious injuries. Prosecutors said the attack was carried out after a dispute over more than £20,000 of stolen cocaine cash.
Sentences and convictions
The court found the gang’s leader, Morgan Caldwell, 26, guilty of murder and grievous bodily harm with intent. He was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 30 years.
Two other men, Dominic Hall and Kole James, were convicted of murder. A fourth defendant, Daniel Simpson, 32, was convicted of manslaughter. The four men, all from Middlesbrough, were said to have "planned and executed a violent armed attack" on the pair.
| Defendant | Age | Conviction | Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morgan Caldwell | 26 | Murder; GBH with intent | Life (minimum 30 years) |
| Dominic Hall | — | Murder | Life (tariff reported at sentencing) |
| Kole James | — | Murder | Life (tariff reported at sentencing) |
| Daniel Simpson | 32 | Manslaughter | Custodial sentence |
Family response and police action
At court, Mr Dickons’s sister paid tribute to him as a "kind‑hearted" and fun‑loving man who was "the light of our lives" and described the perpetrators as "monsters". After the assault the perpetrators fled the scene and burned the victims' car. Two of the defendants were later traced travelling via Scotland to Northern Ireland.
"He was the light of our lives,"
Cleveland Police led the investigation. Prosecutors told the court the victims were targeted for the large sum of drug money they were believed to be in possession of, and that the attack was both deliberate and brutal.
Local impact and wider concerns
- Residents in North Ormesby and surrounding areas have been left shocked by the severity of the attack in a residential street.
- The case highlights continuing issues of drug‑related violence and organised groups operating locally.
- Sentences aim to reflect the premeditated nature of the assault and the necessity of protecting the public.
This conviction and the lengthy tariffs handed down will be of significance to victims’ families and the wider Middlesbrough community as they look for reassurance about safety and the rule of law. Cleveland Police and local partners will be expected to outline steps to prevent similar incidents and tackle the underlying drug‑related criminality that fuel such violence.
Further details of sentencing for the other defendants, and any reports from probation or police about community safety measures, will be monitored by local authorities and InfoRadar as they develop.
