Overview
- R W Barrett & Son Funeral Services confirmed he died unexpectedly on April 4, with a service scheduled for April 28 at West Road Crematorium in Newcastle.
- He had been released from HMP Durham on September 10, 2024 under a government plan to ease overcrowding, and reporting later said he was freed in error.
- A day after that release he was arrested in Newcastle’s West End after going to ex-partner Rachel Usher’s flat, where he allegedly slapped her.
- Despite Ms Usher’s death around the time of the October 2024 trial, he was found guilty of assault and two breaches of a restraining order tied to the September incidents.
- Recorder Mark Guiliani allowed his appeal in August 2025 after prosecutors failed to complete required assessments, and coverage now revisits his early film role in Empire State and long struggles with addiction and repeat offending.