A man and woman have been charged with allegedly helping a convicted murderer flee the UK following the killing of 28-year-old Jordan Hogg. Darren Ellis and Laura Horrigan appeared at Teesside Magistrates’ Court on Friday, 11 September 2026, charged with assisting an offender. Prosecutors allege the pair helped Sydney Bashford escape following the fatal attack on Mr Hogg at his flat in Hemlington on 28 February 2025. The court heard claims that Bashford was driven hundreds of miles to the Port of Stranraer in Scotland, where he boarded a ferry to Ireland. He subsequently travelled to France and remained on the run until he was located by French police in Cherbourg. He was later extradited to Britain and arrested.
Innocent victim targeted over stolen e-bike
Bashford was identified as the ringleader of an armed group which forced its way into Mr Hogg’s home after wrongly believing he had stolen an expensive electric bicycle. Mr Hogg had no involvement in the alleged theft. The group subjected him to a violent attack which resulted in his death and prompted a major murder investigation by Cleveland Police. Bashford and four co-defendants were convicted of murder in December 2025. On 23 January 2026, Bashford was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 27 years and 42 days. Ellis and Horrigan are now accused of helping Bashford evade arrest by transporting him to Stranraer and enabling him to leave the UK. Both face charges of assisting an offender. The allegations against Ellis and Horrigan have not yet been proven, and the criminal proceedings remain ongoing.
Originally published by UKNIP.
