Drunk yob punched police officer after being told to keep dogs under control in Newcastle city centre
Mark McManus, who was lying semi-conscious on a street in Newcastle, lashed out when constables asked him to control his pets
by Sara Nichol · ChronicleLiveA drunk yob punched a police officer after he was asked to keep his dogs under control.
Mark McManus was found by passing constables lying on a street in Newcastle City Centre in a semi-conscious state. A court heard that they tried to rouse the 29-year-old as his partner, who was standing beside him, was having trouble controlling his two pets, a court heard.
But the move didn't go down well with McManus, who flew into a rage and lashed out at one of the officers, punching him in the leg. The animals were taken from the lout and he was arrested.
McManus, of Edward Terrace, in Stanley, County Durham, has now been ordered to pay compensation after he appeared at Newcastle Magistrates' Court to plead guilty to assaulting an emergency worker. Stephen Davies, prosecuting, said patrolling officers spotted a semi-conscious McManus lying on Leazes Park Road on September 8 this year.
Mr Davies said: "He was with a female, who had two dogs, which she was struggling to control. The officers approached and attempted to rouse the defendant. Eventually he did respond and spoke to the officers who spoke to him abut the dogs not being under control.
"After a short exchange, the defendant reached out towards the officers and punched one in the left leg, causing mild discomfort to the officer. He was then arrested for assault."
The court heard that McManus had a number of past convictions, some of which he'd served custodial sentences for, but hadn't been in trouble since 2021, when he "turned his life around" after the birth of his son.
Magistrates heard that McManus had been at his sister's house that day and learned that his grandfather had died, which led him to drink booze, something he'd been abstinent from since the birth of his child.
McManus was given a 12-month conditional discharge and must pay the victim £50 compensation.
Join our WhatsApp communities
ChronicleLive is now on WhatsApp and we want you to join our communities.
We have a number of communities to join, so you can choose which one you want to be part of and we'll send you the latest news direct to your phone. You could even join them all!
To join you need to have WhatsApp on your device. All you need to do is choose which community you want to join, click on the link and press 'join community'.
No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the ChronicleLive team.
We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners.
If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
If you’re curious, you can read our privacy notice.
Join the ChronicleLive Breaking News and Top Stories community
Join our Court & Crime community
Join the Things to do in Newcastle and the North East community
Join our Northumberland community
Join our County Durham community
Join our Great North Run community