Drunk chef spat on police in Newcastle city centre hours before he was due to do Great North Run
Liam Powell was being arrested for being drunk and disorderly in the city centre when he spat at the two officers, hitting them in the face
by Sara Nichol · ChronicleLiveA drunk chef spat on two police officers just hours before he was due to take part in the Great North Run.
Disgusting Liam Powell had travelled to Tyneside from Cumbria but turned violent when he was arrested for being drunk and disorderly in Newcastle city centre. The 39-year-old's shameful behaviour quickly escalated further as he turned and spat on two of the constables, hitting them in the face, a court heard.
Powell, who works as a chef at a pub in Grasemere, in the Lake District, was further arrested and appeared in the dock this week to plead guilty to two counts of assaulting and emergency worker and one of being drunk and disorderly. Newcastle Magistrates' Court was told that police were called to McDonald's, on Grainger Street, in the early hours of September 8 this year after Powell was seen trying to fight random members of public.
Prosecutor, Stephen Davies, said officers located Powell and spoke with him but he immediately turned abusive. Mr Davies added: "He was clearly drunk and took up a fighting stance.
"He was arrested for being drunk and disorderly but he continued to be abusive and threatening towards officers. The defendant had to be restrained on the ground and, while being restrained, he spat on both officers, hitting one on the left side of his forehead and another in the face."
The court heard that Powell, who has pervious convictions for assaulting emergency workers and was jailed for 16 months in 2021 for breaching a restraining order, later apologised for his behaviour.
Matthew Purves, defending, said Powell, of Low Garth, in Kendal, in Cumbria, had been on Tyneside to do the Great North Run but things had turned hostile when his bag was stolen. Mr Purves continued: "He ended up drinking quite a lot and it's made him rather agitated.
"Police became involved as a consequence of that. He accepts completely what's been said about the situation."
Powell was given as 12-month community order and must pay each officer £50 in compensation. He was also fined £150.
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