Man Denies Knife Threat Near Newcastle Central Station

A man has appeared before magistrates after allegedly threatening another man with a knife near one of Newcastle's busiest transport hubs. The case, which centres on an incident close to Central Station Metro, has now been scheduled for trial later this year following a hearing at Newcastle Magistrates' Court.

The allegations relate to an incident said to have taken place in Newcastle city centre on June 3. Prosecutors claim the defendant produced a lock knife before allegedly holding it against another man's neck while making threats to kill him. The case has attracted attention due to the location, with the area around Newcastle Central Station regularly used by thousands of commuters, shoppers and visitors every day.

Court hears allegation of knife threat.

Reece Spearman, 29, of West View, Benwell, appeared before Newcastle Magistrates' Court charged with threatening a person with a bladed article.

Prosecutor Clare Haswell told the court the alleged incident happened near the Westgate Road entrance to Central Station Metro Station in Newcastle. During the hearing, it was alleged that Spearman held a lock knife against the complainant's neck while saying: "I will kill you, I just got out of jail for murder."

The prosecution submitted that the matter was suitable to remain before the magistrates' court for trial.

Spearman denied the allegation and entered a not guilty plea.

Separate criminal damage allegation.

Alongside the knife charge, Spearman also faces an unrelated allegation of criminal damage.

The court heard he is accused of damaging a glass panel belonging to Newcastle City Council on April 5. The damage is alleged to have cost approximately £342.

He also denied this charge during the hearing.

Defence solicitor Jack Lovell agreed that both matters were suitable to be dealt with by the magistrates' court.

Trial date confirmed.

Magistrates accepted jurisdiction over both cases and listed them for trial at Newcastle Magistrates' Court on October 12.

Until then, Spearman has been granted conditional bail.

As part of those bail conditions, he must continue living at the address provided to the court, observe a nightly curfew between 7pm and 6am, and is prohibited from entering Newcastle's parking meter zone while proceedings remain ongoing.

As with all criminal proceedings, the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

Newcastle city centre remains a busy transport hub.

The alleged offence is said to have happened close to Newcastle Central Station Metro, one of the busiest public transport interchanges in the North East. The station serves Metro passengers, National Rail services and local bus connections, making it one of the city's busiest pedestrian locations throughout the day.

Incidents involving alleged violence in highly populated areas often attract greater public attention because of the number of people who may be nearby. Northumbria Police and transport authorities continue to encourage anyone who witnesses suspicious or violent behaviour in Newcastle city centre to report it immediately.

While serious incidents remain relatively uncommon compared with the overall number of daily journeys through the station, police regularly carry out patrols across key transport locations in Newcastle to provide reassurance to passengers and deter criminal activity.

Knife crime statistics across England and Wales.

Knife crime continues to be a major focus for police forces and government agencies across England and Wales.

According to the latest Office for National Statistics figures, police recorded approximately 53,000 offences involving a knife or sharp instrument in the year ending March 2025. Although that represented a slight decrease compared with the previous year, knife crime remains significantly higher than levels recorded a decade ago.

Separate Ministry of Justice figures also show more than 20,700 knife and offensive weapon cases were dealt with by the criminal justice system in the year ending March 2025. Around 31 percent resulted in an immediate custodial sentence, while offences involving threatening someone with a knife increased by 16 percent compared with the previous year.

These figures highlight why alleged offences involving bladed articles continue to be treated seriously by the courts, particularly when they involve allegations of threats against another person.

What happens next.

The case will return to Newcastle Magistrates' Court in October, where evidence from both the prosecution and defence will be heard.

Until the trial concludes, the charges remain allegations, and no findings of guilt have been made. The court will ultimately determine the outcome after considering all of the evidence presented by both sides.

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