Alcoholic Carl Rought had downed litres of cider before he went to his ex-partner's home in Alston Walk, Peterlee, at 1.40am demanding to see his three-year-old, after contact had stopped in the days before.

Although he had been calm when police first arrived, the situation later escalated, leading to the pair struggling.

Debra Jones, prosecuting at Peterlee Magistrates' Court, said: "Officers saw Mr Rought sitting on the doorstep and said he wanted to see his son.

"He was told 2am was not an appropriate time and he advised the officer that he was an alcoholic and had drank three litres of cider.

"The officer took part of Mr Rought's left upper arm to lead him away from the premises and he became abusive.

"He told the officer to take of his uniform and 'Raoul Moat had the right idea'."

As the policeman tried to restrain Rought, he swung his handcuffed hands towards his head and missed, with the Pc using a "palming" move to push the defendant's head away.

Rought continued to ask the officer for a fight after making the comments about gunman Moat, who shot himself two days before the incident on July 12, after shooting Northumrbia Pc David Rathband, his ex-partner and killing her new boyfriend.

Rought, who was left with a gravel rash from the struggle, admitted charges of affray and resisting a police officer.

Neil Bennett, mitigating, told the court the 25-year-old had been heavily involved in the upbringing of his boy and saw him every day, but contact had ceased in the time leading up to the incident, which had caused him upset.

He said: "He's dealt with it inappropriately, but he realises his behaviour was because he had taken drink on board."

Chairman of the bench Keith King said: "You've obviously seen the error of your ways now once drink is involved.

"It was two o'clock in the morning and you were outside somebody else's house knocking on the doors and this would have, to other neighbours, caused a disturbance."

Magistrates gave Rought, of Sledmere Close, Peterlee, a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered him to pay £85 in costs.