Three people have been sentenced after a serious assault in Newcastle last year, caused the death of a “deeply loved” family man.

Shortly before 10.30pm on Saturday, July 26, 2025, police received a report from the ambulance service of a man who was injured on Saint Andrew’s Street in the China Town area of the city.

It was reported that a man and a woman had been in an altercation with a small group of people when the man was punched in the head and fell to the ground.

Emergency services attended the scene and a man – 55-year-old Simon Beston – was found to have sustained serious head injuries.

He was taken to hospital for treatment of his injuries but sadly died on August 16.

An investigation was immediately launched by the Force’s Major Investigation Team.

Following the report, five people were arrested at the time: a 19-year-old man on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm with intent, and two other 19-year-old men, a 19-year-old woman, and a 17-year-old girl on suspicion of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

In July this year, three of those arrested were charged:

• Ethan Cockram, now aged 21, of Durham Street, Wallsend, was charged with one count of manslaughter.
• Shayne Cook, now aged 20, of Winifred Gardens, Wallsend, was charged with one count of affray.
• Lola Charlton, now aged 20, of Fairhaven Avenue, Walker, was charged with one count of affray.

The remaining two people arrested were released with no further action.

All three charged pleaded guilty to the offences at Newcastle Crown Court last month.

Yesterday (Thursday, October 29) they appeared at the same court where they were sentenced to the following:

• Cockram was sentenced to four years and 10 months in jail.
• Cook was sentenced to 18 months in jail.
• Charlton was sentenced to nine months imprisonment, suspended for 24 months.

In Victim Personal Statements (VPS) read to the court, Simon’s loved ones spoke movingly about the impact his death has had on their lives.

His mother Mary said: “I was on holiday with my older son and family when I got the most devastating news I could possibly receive.

“My world just fell apart. We went straight to the hospital on our return and what I saw will stay with me for the rest of my life.

“My son lying there with so many tubes, monitors and all I wanted to do was give him a hug.

“Since then, I cannot seem to get my life back in order as he did everything for me. He did my shopping, looked after my garden and my car. I still wait for him opening the front door and shouting ‘it’s just me mam, do you fancy a cuppa?’.

“The day Simon died part of me went with him and for the rest of my life, I’ll never get over losing him. If it wasn’t for my older son and his wife, I don’t know what I would have done.

“They say grief gets easier, but mine won’t and I’ll never forget or forgive the person that did this to my son.”

Simon’s daughter Chloe told the court: “My dad was loving and caring and played a significant part in my life, and his death has left a huge void in my life that no other person would ever be able to fill.

“I did not lose my Dad due to old age or ill health, I lost him as a result of someone else’s actions which has made the grieving process even more difficult and much more traumatic.

“My Dad was my safe space and always looked after me and protected me. I could always pick up a phone to speak to him, and he was always positive and encouraging.

“I think of the future and all the things he won’t be there for. He won’t walk me down the aisle, and he won’t get to see my daughter grow up. My daughter won’t experience the relationship that I had with her Grandad growing up. He was always so much fun and I wanted my daughter to see this.”

Also speaking in a victim personal statement, his sister-in-law Lynn said:

“For me, there will never be enough words on this planet that will come anywhere near powerful enough to fully describe the heartbreak, the anguish, devastation and overwhelming sense of loss that we have lived with every day since Simon died. The pain that has been caused is constant, our grief is ongoing, and the emptiness left by Simon’s absence can never be replaced.

“He was a son, a brother and a brother-in-law, a partner, a father, grandad, a friend and someone who was deeply loved who had hopes and dreams, plans, responsibilities and a future ahead of him.

“The future years that have been taken from Simon are also the years that have been taken from those who loved him most. Milestones are now remembered by his absence rather than his presence.

“Every day for the rest of our lives, we will wake to the same irreversible truth; Simon is gone and nothing can bring him home. We will carry the life sentence. Simon’s absence is our life sentence without an end date.”

Speaking about Simon, his stepdaughter Ella said: “He grew to be my best friend, my safety net and my point of contact for anything in my life. He was the type of person who would put your needs before his own, no matter when you needed it or how bad he was struggling.

“During Simon’s stay in hospital I found it unbelievably difficult to understand that he wasn’t going to be OK. He was always the type of person to be okay no matter what medical condition he was struggling with. I documented every moment of his stay in hospital with complete belief that he would wake up and want to know what happened. I bought chocolate from his favourite shop for us to share when he was okay. To this day, that chocolate has still not been touched.

“Not only did I lose my step-dad, I lost the person who watched me grow up, the person who would be so unconditionally proud of me for the smallest thing, the person who face every struggle I suffered, the person who I contacted and turned to the most, the person who I shared every good and bad life had to offer, and the person who pushed me to do things I would’ve never done without his support.

“But above all that, I lost my best friend.”

Simon’s partner Maxine told the court: “The events of that night have completely changed my life. I went out for a meal with my partner Simon, expecting it to be an ordinary, romantic evening together. The consequences of that night have been devastating, and I know I will live with them for the rest of my life.

“The biggest impact, and the hardest thing for me to put into words, is that I lost my partner Simon. He was the person I shared my home, my life and my future with. In one moment, everything we had planned and everything I knew was taken away from me.

“I have also struggled enormously with survivor’s guilt. Knowing that I walked away from that night while Simon lost his life is something I find incredibly difficult to live with. Knowing I cannot change what happened, but that does not stop these thoughts and feelings from coming back. The guilt is something I carry with me alongside the grief and trauma.

“They did not just take Simon away from me. They robbed so many people of a future with him. They left his mother without one of her sons, his brother without his brother, his daughter without her dad and his granddaughter without her grandad.

“Simon had a family who loved him. He had people who needed him, plans for the future and a life that should have continued.”  

Speaking after the sentencing Detective Inspector Ashley Loader, of Northumbria Police, said: “No result will change or reverse the tragic events leading to Simon’s untimely death, and our thoughts remain with all his loved ones as they continue to navigate life without him.

“This is another deeply sad case that highlights the far-reaching consequences violence can have on individuals, families and communities.

“Simon’s death shows how quickly acts of violence can escalate and the impact they can have. A moment of aggression has resulted in a family losing a loved one, with the effects of that loss being felt by many people for years to come.

“Everyone has a responsibility to think before they act.

“Do not let a momentary lapse in judgement become something you regret for the rest of your life.”