North Shields man who hurled abuse and spat at police during drunken rage faces jail

A man who hurled abuse and spat at police during a drunken rage is facing jail.

David Sutton, of Railway Terrace, North Shields, was arrested on Monday 19 September after shouting abuse on a street.

The 28-year's outburst happened during a national two-minute silence for Her Majesty The Queen, on the day of her state funeral.

North Tyneside Magistrates' Court has heard that when police arrived, they discovered Sutton had been drinking a lot of alcohol.

Officers took him to Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital in Cramlington, where he became aggressive and had to be put in a spit hood.

In an aggressive rant, Sutton lashed out at a female police officer, calling her a "s**t" and a "s**g", before lifting up the protective hood and spitting at her.

Refusing to calm down, Sutton then kicked a hospital chair, which hit the officer in the leg, the court heard.

He was further arrested and appeared at North Tyneside Magistrates' Court 24 hours later.

He pleaded guilty to assaulting an emergency worker and being drunk and disorderly.

Rebecca Gibson, prosecuting, said police were called to Sibthorpe Street, in North Shields, on Monday 19 September due to concerns for a male who was lying on the ground.

Mrs Gibson said: "He smelled of intoxicating liquor. One officer attempted to move the defendant but he refused to engage and became abusive, shouting "f***k off, you n***e".

"It was during the two-minute silence the nation was observing during the late Queen's funeral. The defendant was arrested and taken to hospital in Cramlington for treatment. However, at the hospital, he continued to be aggressive and was spitting on the floor."

Mrs Gibson added: "He also kicked a chair over and it hit the officer in the legs. She wasn't injured."

In a statement, the constable said: "Nobody has the right to assault me when I'm trying to carry out my lawful duties as an officer. I feel disgusted Sutton was spitting towards me in a hospital around vulnerable people."

In the statement, the victim also said Sutton had threatened to rape her daughter and urinate on her daughter's grave.

Stuart Athey, mitigating, said Sutton, who has 44 offences on his record, had started drinking on Monday after two family members had died within four days.

Mr Athey added: "He was not in a good place and hadn't drank alcohol for a while. A friend of his gifted him a bottle of vodka and he ended up in the state he was."

He is due to be sentenced on 3 October, when he is also due to be sentenced for flashing Metro staff.

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To know...