I called time on this Geordie

I called time on this Geordie

Stefan Geary was born in 49 Hilton road on 30 March 1971. His nanna delivered him. His dad told him that he was born in hard times, with nit much work. He was brought up in Broomfield, in hedworth. His mam put him in nursery when he was 2 ½ years old with his sister who was 3 nearly 4. He really doesn’t remember much of his nursery days. When he was 5 and his older sister was 6, he join his sister in hedworth infant school. It was a bad school; he only made a few friends.

He love to go swimming in celadon village with his school friends. He remember wearing a brown shirt, brown shorts, and a brown jacket this was his school uniform. He was there until he was 7, he really enjoyed school. He also had 2 younger sisters. After about a month of being in a junior school he discover other children were getting bullied, he got bullied because he could not keep up with the other children, he also remember playing with his friends in the school yard, and some older boys came toward him and his friends and began to bully him and his friends for nothing, the bully push him over and hit his friend in the chest, the bully ran away laughing his other friend fell to the ground in pain. We did not say anything at first. A few days later the same boys came back with a few more friends, they saw them playing football, and they began to chase them into a corner, and they hit him in the face, and they kick his two friends. He ran home to tell his dad what had happen.

His uncle paddy was with his dad he said, “why are you not at school?” so he told his dad that an older group of boys where bulling him and his friends and one of the boys hit him in the face. His dad and uncle paddy took him back to school where they told the headteacher what had happen to him and his friends. The three older boys got the cane, and they never bullied them again. A funny thing happen one of the bullies became his best friend. He was called terry, and they are still friends to this day. He left school at the age of 11, to go to hedworth comprehensive school. He was only there for about three months, then he started getting bullied. A few older boys began calling him names and pushing him around. One day he couldn’t take in anymore, so he saw him by himself. Stefan punched him in the face, and he ran away crying, his older sister saw what happened and she confronted them, they all said sorry to him. After about two months he ended up going to a special school in Jarrow. He was still living in Broomfield, but we moved to Raby gardens, he met a few new friends when they move there. But once again a few skin head did not like them. They started bulling Stefan and his three sisters, they to avoid the bullies, when they when to Valley view park, the bullies saw them, and they spat at them which was a big mistake. She kick him between the legs, she was only young at the time. His dad came out to see what was going on, his sister told him that he spat at them, his dad made him say sorry to them, then he clipped him. He really loved his new school they used to go swimming and cooking, he used to take the cakes he made home for his family. When they were off school, they used to help out the neighbour wash his car on a weekend, he used to give them £3 each that was a lot of money for them. About 3 to 4 months later he got into the wrong crowd. They used to set fires to the cornfields and knock on peoples doors and run away. The also used to dare each other to do daft things, he got caught stealing out of Woolworth, as a dare. He got caught a few times and he got hit of his mam, but he just kept doing it for the buzz, they also used to block up the metro machines so they could get out the change people weren’t getting, they used it to buy they woodpecker cinder, they used to make a good few quid, they got greedy, and they got caught, he got caution from the police. He grew up with three sisters, they mam was stricken with them. At thirteen he met his first girlfriend she was called Shirley; he was with her for about six months.

When he was younger, he experienced a lot of bulling, he always getting bullied at school and a lot of names calling. This led to him drink a lot of cinder and lager with his school friends. He was starting to become violent and committing a lot of diffident offenses, including arson. He spend his teenage years up until his 30s. his first ever offence was in 1998 when he was a young lad about 14 to 15 throw a brick throw his sister window and the glass just missed her baby in the pram, he was really drunk, so he got a hole of him, and he threatened to hit him. He had to pay him £75 compensation. In the 1980s he was charged with offense of property by deception, three for theft from the gas and electric meters 7 for fake sponsorship forms. On his way to morpeth with a friend, they were running away from home, they walked through the pedestrian tunnel to north shields, this was on the 13/11/1987. The saw a car and they broke into it, they tried to steal it but could not drive it. they got caught from the police, he was only 17-year-old he got a conditional discharge 2 years, driving licence endorsed. After this him and his friend ended up sleeping rough in London, they hitched all the way to London for Washington service station, it took us a couple of days to get there. When they got there, they found a place to sleep, it was behind the army and navy store in the west of London, another homeless lad took them to the passage, sister Paula ran it, they had a breakfast and a shower and a change of clothes. They ended up in st martins the field near Trafalgar square. They give them a place to stay in shepherds bush. They did not stay in London long, the homeless charity paid for the bus fare back home, they were in the national express bus station in Victoria at 11:30 pm to catch the bus to Newcastle, they got to Gatlin road depo at 6:30am in the morning. Once again, they broke into a dwelling attending to steal money and to see what else they could steal and sell so they could get something to eat and drink. They had nowhere to go. They both got a conditional discharge of 12 months and a £80 fine. This did not stop them they got caught again on 21/01/1991, this was for obtaining property by deception, they were collection money in a fake charity bucket, so they could buy food and to keep warm, they got stopped by the police and they asked what they were doing which they said “collecting money for charity” they did not believe them and took them to the police station in south shields, when they when to court, he got 12 month condition discharge and he had to pay £35 compensation. Once again him and terry went back to London, when they got there, they stayed in holly house bed and breakfast in Victoria in London it was £25 a night, they both got jobs as road sweepers with Mrs metropolitan borough council, they worked for about six months. He had to leave to come home when his uncle died. He stayed at his sister for a few months. Then he when to Blackpool with his friend called David, he had a job interview at the winter gardens for a seasonal job in Blackpool tower. He was only supposed to stay for the weekend, he ended up staying for a year as he also got a job on the dawn of time. He really loved it as he was meeting new people from around the world. he did a couple of shifts in jungle Jims after six months in Blackpool tower, they did another six months at Blackpool pleasure beach. He worked on a few good rides. He really loved working with general public. When this ended, he when home. He met a girl called Tracy they got a house together in Southwick in Sunderland, his friend stole some scratch cards from a local shop, and he stole money from tv meters. He got two-year condition discharge and £150 competition. When he broke up from his girlfriend, he when to work to do shift in the glass centre in Sunderland for delta one security and a shift for north force security. He got a call from north force security when he got there, they made a mistake they didn’t need him so he when and caught his partner in bed with his cousin, he blew his top he hit his cousin with a hammer and slapped her. He don’t know why he ended up in Blackpool he got drunk and set a fire to three cars in a car park, he ended up get three years at Preston crown court. When he got out of Preston prison, he when back to Jarrow he lived with his dad for a while.

He managed to get his job back with north force security he work at peacocks in Jarrow he was truthfully about his crimes, and they gave him a chance he worked for about year and a half. He got a six month contract with Boldon colliery coal mine looking after the site and machines, later after this he was called into the office in commercial road south shields, they asked him if he would work in north shields for two weeks he said yes his duties were to work around the site every hour to check if everyone tried to get in then he got a job with aptly shop fitters in Sunderland his friend Ian got him the job. But it only last a few months. Then his young niece was getting bullied, and that brought back a lot of money of memories flooding back on how he was bullied. He when out and got really drunk at a party as he was about to leave about 12am he was walking past the school, and he broke in and set it a light. Whilst he was in hmp Frankland he became a Christian it was hard in jail, he got a job as a clearer and a wing buddy he went onto the dspd unit for two and half years, to do a course. Then halfway through dr Kim sent him to st Nicholas hospital in Gosforth he was on the Oswin unit for about another two half years he did a number of courses with his anger and alcohol after this he went to Northgate hospital in morpeth. He was there for two half years. he loved it as he was doing gardening course also, he got a job in the guess club serving tea and coffee to the other residence. When his family came to visit him, he could go to the café for a meal with them. After a year he was allowed to go shopping in morpeth himself.

When he left, he when to Chatterton hay in Manchester medial staff ran it, he had a good time there, before this he became a Christian and attended an alpha course. This was run by the chaplaincy team; he asked god to help him with his anger issue and to help him to stop getting into trouble. He met a Christian brother he is called Barry Woodward he was an ex-addict and he spent time in jail. He authored a book, and he now runs the proclaim trust in Manchester. He told him about the alpha course which is run by nick Gumbel. The course really open his eyes he got baptised in hmp Northumberland it was pack and even Barry came to it, a lot of his prison mates also came to support him. He was addicted to whiskey, rum, and lager he been drinking for 37 years on and off. He don’t give up and keep trying no matter how hard it gets. You can get there just don’t give up. He went to education to get some qualifications in English and maths and computers, he even got a qualification in his Bic’s industrial cleaning. He did a lot of community work he volunteered in a charity shop and in a foodbank in south shields. When he get out, he would like to start to volunteer at an alcohol course centre and he like to visit prisoners and school to share his story. He would also like to become an outreach worker and mentor and he would like also to restore relationships with friends and family. He would steal anything to get his drinks, he stole from metro machines. His body gave up and he ended up in hospital in Newcastle because of his heavy drinking when he woke up in hospital and he wondered how he got there. He felt like he cheated death, and he knew that something special had taken place, but he still need a purpose to live. What does Jesus want to know a scum bag like him. His life had to changed when he became to know Jesus. He when to church in hmp Frankland he said what on earth am I doing here again about a month later he asked Jesus to come into his life. He closed his eyes and said Jesus if you are real, please come into my life. His family have told him that they still love him all his life, but he still hurt them by coming back to jail. He really need to hear this from his friends and family. He promise that he’ll tell everyone for the rest of his life on the earth that you will always forgive him. When he gets out, he will start a new life, and begin a journey into getting better and staying out of jail. He hope for you is that you learn from your mistakes no matter what you’ve done. Your family will forgive you like Jesus will. When he got realised from hmp Northumberland in 2018 he when to a place called chi-house it was run by Christian group. But going back to his time in jail. He was really cured for by health care team he also got well with prisoners and staff officer g and officer w he won’t give their names he really enjoyed being a buddy as he was helping disabled people with writing letters getting their meals and even taking them to health care and visits even when he ended up on the dspd unit, he done some gardening and playing carpet bowls. He miss the lads staff and the medical team who supported me. Getting out in 2018 was really scary he didn’t want to leave because he was really scared all he knew was prison life. It took him a while to adjust to the outside world, money had change and even my hometown was diffident. It was hard being on the outside as people were rushing about doing, they shopping. He move to Hartlepool to be with his niece and her partner Michael for a while then he got his own place around the counter from them, he helped them with his little nephew. They moved to Middlesbrough he went them for a while he got a bedsit in Middlesbrough after a while, he went to live with his nephew to look after him he was having a lot of fits. He was like his carer it was an eye opener because it was the first fit, he saw.

He met his nephew’s friends, and they got on really well, doing jobs with them and for the landlord, fixing up his houses. After a while I started to drink with them, it was a good laugh he even went fishing with them. They took little Dylan with them and showed him how to cast out his line he caught a black lobster, and he was only 7 years old. Everyone on the pier were in shock he had a good supper. He turned back to be obsessed with £5 scratch cards, he used to win £20 on them the most he won was £35. He remember getting invited to a party with his nephew. He got drunk he can’t even remember leaving his nephew and he ended up in Middlesbrough, he doesn’t know how he got there from Hartlepool, and he can’t remember how he walked there. He broke into an old building to keep warm; he started a fire to keep himself warm, but it got out of hand. He was arrested and remanded into hmp Durham. He has been working as a covid 19 cleaner making sure the wing is clean. He had not had the job long before he got moved to hmp Holme house. Going back to 2000 before all this happened, he had a job as a floor walker cashier in the Dunn amusement from 10am to 10pm, seven days a week. He had to chase a few people out as they were kicking the 2ps and 10ps tipping machines to try and get the money out. He was still an anger person getting into trouble, when he had a skin full, he was like Jekyll and Hyde. He bumped into an old friend terry who he had not seen in a while the one who got him into trouble. He was living with his partner and her two boys, one day it came out of the blue he asked me to be godfather he said yes straight away. He really missed his friend and his kids. After Dunn amusement, he got the job with north force security. He was looking after a building in Newcastle Monday to Friday. Then working in Jarrow shops he had the weekend off. He was on about £8.50 an hour. He really loved the job because he was helping the customers. When he was in Frankland, he met a lot of lads and gangs. He met four hells angels even booker t from Jamaica he was about 6ft, he was a good cook in jail. He was the only one allowed in his cell, to get things he try to keep in touch with a few of them, most of them will die in jail. One time he remember going to Paris with his mate terry. They were wearing union jack shirts and hats. They had a great weekend in Paris. He just wished he could just go back in time and have a word with himself, to say how daft he had become from a young lad to a dangerous man. He hopes that he could change and became a good role model for his great nephews and nieces. He not getting any younger 52 years old. What is his nephews and nieces going to say in school if they ask was your uncle do. (he is in jail) that won’t look to good for them. He doesn’t want them to be bullied. Back in early days his sister told him that they stole bread to feed the ducks, he couldn’t remember but it did happen. They must have been really young. He also found out that he throw a chair at his sister it could have hurt her. His mam was never around much she when drinking with her friends. She was really nasty when she drank too much. That’s where he must take away his mother when he gets drunk. He forgive his mam because it was hard for her to bring four kids up back in the early 70s with no work a few years later his sister Kerry and terry and him went to London we slept rough for about two weeks; they were reported as missing. When they came back home, they got wrong of the dad. They were glad in a way to have them back at home. They met an old couple Mr and Mrs Biggins they loved going to the house on a Friday to do some songs and to learn about Jesus. He even went to rocker park to see billy graham in Sunderland, they went to Sunday school. They all sat on the pitch right next to billy graham. Then again in the summer they when to the harvest Christian festival with other children they camped out in Durham it was great weekend they had lots of guess speakers. Going back to 1989 went he left school, they had to get employment training, he worked on the Christmas illuminations, they had to strip of the old garland check the wires and lights before they put the new garland on. It was a great job because they saw the public, his next six months they did waste management with borough South Tyneside council. When he left and joined the TA the light infantry, he lasted a month and got into trouble. He had to leaving the army, it was with the royal fusiliers 7th Bollington Durham light infantry. They were doing are basic training in Durham and otterbum. When he came into jail, he ended up joining the veterans in custody meeting in the chapel, with terry portal. brigadier bibby from the Colchester guards came into Durham to see them. He spoke about his time in combat and the places he’s been. He has met some characters in jail, some in Frankland, Holme house, forest bank and Northumberland all in for some serious crimes. Most of the lads ended up in Frankland, they all met up in the gym and the chapel. He has witnessed a lot of violence in jail and on the dspd unit was hard to see the lads in pain. When he was a cleaner on the health care ward in Durham, he got to know one of the prisoners, he was always cutting himself, as he started trusted him, he used to asked the staff if he could talk to him. He used to make him a smoke and a cup of tea, they had to smoke outside the got on really well. The staff saw a big change in him, he could tell him anything. It nearly killed him when he found out he had died outside jail. He never got to say goodbye. There has been a lot of changes to the area when he got in 2018. His local pub had gone that brought back memories, you knew when a fight was going to start. It was always on a Friday night. The pub was always getting into trouble even with the drugs getting sold even cheap tobacco and tabs. The police were always there. The benlowman was a good pub as the fishman came in they used to buy his crabsticks and muscles. The Sweetman also had a good range of sweets. They also had shoplifters coming in and selling the thing to get some money for they fix. He was a thug with his mates. His nickname was here come trouble. When he was drinking, he had a different person, he didn’t care who he hurt as long as he had money for drink. He let his family down always, but they still excepted him, they could have thrown him out.

He loved his nanna and grandad they never judged him; his grandad took him drinking one day. He had his work uniform on for work, he didn’t make it as he got out of it with his grandad, his nanna told him off. His nanna told his boss that he was sick lucky he kept his job. On Halloween they used to go to the farm and pinch turnips and sell them to people they knew for £1 so they had money for drink they stole Christmas trees and sell them to the neighbours for a £5, they knew way they came from, but they didn’t care. When they came out of the pub, kids doing penny for the guy his mate Jason give them some money and walked off with their guy, for a laugh the poor kids faces but his mate took it back they even give them about £5 in change, they were buzzing. We have all done this when we were younger. He used to use his mate terry as the guy. They made a small fortune waiting for the pubs to close and the punter coming out drunk, his dad used to count it out for them the cheeky terry said to his dad “I need some for counting I” him and terry laughed. He really misses the young days and his teen years. he wished he could go back in time and tell himself about the future. If he stayed in the army he would love to have stayed out of trouble. He has really ruined his life spending time in jail and not seeing his nephews and nieces grow up. He had to miss out on the 18th and 21st birthdays. He couldn’t go to his nanna funeral and his mam wedding because he was in jail, what a waste of his life most of his friends will die in jail, he really sorry for them and them families, and all the dads and mams who miss they kids with being in prison. Being back in jail is killing his family, he really has to get some help to stay out of jail. He asking the mental health and the dart team. When he move to another prison, he will be working with professional to help in the future and working towards his goals. The big one is staying away from drink and keeping out of trouble. He needs to stay away from his old friends. Going back to the age of 13, he used to work in a Chinese take away called the jade. He used to help with the meals putting them into cartons then bagging them up for customers. He went there Streat from school until closing time. He got on really well with the family. He even did some odd jobs with rod at his house. He met rod four children and wife. At the age of about 18 he went to Spain with them for two weeks they stay at the palmer hotel the place was lovely and hot the meals at the Beverly hills were great. He had to get used to their money. He looked after the kids going swimming and to the beach. He took part in games he remember one they had to see how many tie shirts they could get into all the kids were keep passing them to him. he doesn’t know how many he got on, but he won. He still has the medal and cup to this day. He lost contact with them after a few years as he ripped Stefan off after doing rod house out for him. After a while he got a job at the wing yip in China town, washing the dishes, it was hard job and very hot in the restaurant kitchen. He was there all day, he could not wait to go home, he took a meal home for free, his dad was happy because he didn’t have to cook. He have also found out that he used to help out the binmen put the bins out for the binmen, they had metal and plastic bins, his dad said he was about 12 and the binmen give him a pound note that was a lot of money for him then. As he could get to Newcastle for 10p return any pay 50p to watch a film. His very first film was at the ABC cinema in Newcastle, it was superman the movie, he went home with his mam it was great halfway through the film the break and a lady used to come around with ice creams and drinks it also give you time to use the toilet. He had some great time as a child also a lot of bad times. He got bullied all the way through his childhood. He always got the blame for his sisters if anything happened. His mam was the worst not seeing her much as she was always away with her friends, he thinks that way he got it from so he started to drink and getting into trouble. His older sister said that he was a big troublemaker when he was in the wrong crowd.

He used to always go around his nanna’s house every morning before he went to school. He went to the shop for her milk. He really misses his nanna and grandad Geary. He loved his nanna cakes, his grandad was always reading the paper and smoking his woodbines it used to wind his nanna up. His uncle worked in the steel works he saw them they came home. One of his uncle’s brought him his first Cuban cigar for his 18th birthday, it took him some time to smoke it. he can remember getting to the pub, but he can’t remember getting home. One new year’s eve him and his cousin bobby got caught drinking under the table they were only young about 11 years, his nanna caught them his dad and uncle and aunties where laughing as they got petty drunk. He bet that they have done it when they were young. Being back in jail is a killer for him and his family. Just sitting in jail with nothing to do, being board. He will be making the most of his jail time. Doing whatever course he need to do and get out and be a better person and look after his dad and check in on his nephew. His dad had a stroke a few years ago and his nephew has fits. He was looking after him before he when back to jail. His sister checks in on him after work and she does long hour, she also checks in on their dad she is taking too much on. His other two sister also have jobs and his younger sister is looking after her husband who is ill and her daughter who has autism. He is very proud of them as it must take a lot out of them. In the early 70s his mam took him to Blundells in Newcastle it was like Woolworth. His first ever present of his dad was a wind-up train set, he couldn’t believe his eyes when he opened it up. And are sock were full of nuts and oranges. They didn’t get many presents and a few sweets from family it was hard times then. He played with the train set all day. The Christmas after he got a big yellow tonka trunk, his sisters all got dolls, he got an action man, he really looked after them. he asked his dad for a bike and when they were in Fenwick's window had it's display. On Christmas day he got his first bike, he was really happy because Santa brought his bike. He brought his dad a Jim Reeves Record with his pocket money it cost him £1.99 from Woolworth, he thinks his dad still has it. He also brought his mam an Elvis Record as she has a room full of Elvis. When she went to Graceland with his aunty Christine. He always wanted to go to Time Square in New York, but he knows that he will never get there with having a criminal record. He will just have to dream about it. He has a lot of nieces and nephews and some of them have children so he is an uncle and a great uncle. He is also a Godfather to them. He has seen most of them with being in jail. He met Zara's children and Patricia's children. He is not really good for them as most of them don't really know him. It is really upsetting because he has missed them growing up. He really has to stop and think because he isn't getting any younger he doesn't want to loose them all. When he was growing up, his life wasn't really normal when he was about 14 his mam and dad separated. He started to play truwent from school sitting on the Metro most of the time life got a bit worse when his mam move out and I life with his dad and his sister. He started to smoke and drink it was the start of his mental health problems. He made friends with the wrong people he started to steal money to support his addiction to drink. He really ended up in trouble and running away from home, getting into trouble with the police. He couldn’t deal with life. He tried to overdosing on tablets and drink. Before he tried to take his own life, he asked god to help him. He had never prayed before but afterwards he felt no different, he thinks he left it to late. He really tried diffident number of times to end his own life, but something stopped him. On one occasion his friend terry intervened and begged him to come home. Whilst he was sitting at Marsden hill there was some police officers who knew him, said they can help him to fix the situation, when the police came to help him, he knew that something spiritually was going on, god had brought him to this place to hear his message he was not expecting it. he knew that for the first time in his life god was really looking after him and he had performed a miracle. The timing of all this, how was really feeling and what he was about to take his life, this doesn’t usually happen to him. He knew that god was real and that he loved him no matter what. He did not know much about the Christian faith, but he knew that he had a purpose. There was a reason for his life, and he knew that there was a reason why he was kept alive. He managed to get out of alcohol and difficult situations and move in with his niece, but he still continued to get drunk, and things were getting bad he did not feel fulfilled but when he was invited to a church service, he thinks he had an experience that change his life. His mam and das got divorced he was a teen he ended up running away and got taking to hospital as he overdosed on tablets. He buried his head in the sand and got drunk and did not think about the pain, he carried on drinking taken more drink and doing some crazy things with his peers. He met a few local lads he was just thinking nothing could hurt him if he were with them.

This was the beginning of all his new crimes. The one day he could not take no more, he felt suicidal, and he remember being alone in his house, he was getting really down, and he fell to his knees and asking god for help. “If your really there please come into my life and help me.” Then he can remember the billy graham and his talk in Roker park in Sunderland. He really got on with his family. His mam is now in her 70s and his dad is also in his 70s. he really does need to but there for them both. He told Brian and Barry that he needed to go in the right direction of Jesus, but he did not really know if he would be accepted in a church near him. Brian and his team prayed for him then he went home. He throw out all the alcohol and can down the sink. They were all alongside him and they taught him to forgive them who bullied him. This really set him free inside. It really feels like a totally new life, and he know that none of this would have been possible with the love of Jesus and his Christian friends.

Bullied

Psalm 91.9.16

If you make the Most High your dwelling-even the LORD, who is my refuge- then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread upon the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. “Because he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honour him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation.”