Sunderland man threatened to spray police with his 'squirter'

An angry Sunderland man landed himself in hot water with police when he threatened to spray them with his squirter, a court heard.

Darren Creighton, 45, warned them he was going to get his liquid-firing device when they tried to access his home in Valley Court, Hendon.

He first blocked their path inside by pushing furniture across his front door on Friday, September 15 – then issued the wet threat.

His solicitor said jobless Creighton was “up a height” due to a run-in with his brother who he had been forced to accept as a lodger.

But his words were just a damp squib, and he went quietly with officers when they finally gained entry, magistrates in South Tyneside were told.

Prosecutor Paul Anderson said: “It’s very simple. Police went to his home address and Mr Creighton was there.

“He moved an amount of furniture across the door and said, ‘I’m going to get my squirter’. He had hot water.

“He made it very difficult for the police to get to him, but they did. Had he gone happily with the police, he wouldn’t be here.”

Creighton pleaded guilty to a charge of obstructing a constable in the execution of his duty.

Paul Dunn, defending, said: “The underlying problem is that brother and his girlfriend had been placed with him, possibly by Probation.

“There has been trouble and his brother had disappeared from the scene.

“By the time the police got there, it’s fair to say he was up a height and that’s why he behaved the way he did. These threats were empty.

“When the police gained entry, he went with them, and he admitted what he had done and has entered an early guilty plea.”

Magistrates refused to sentence Creighton after hearing he was subject to a Newcastle Crown Court imposed community order for a previous offence.

Creighton, who owes £3,300 from past offending, was granted unconditional bail to be sentenced at that court on Monday, October 30.