Man jumped from cupboard and grabbed officer's vest as he resisted arrest

Drunken Carl Bell, 27, was aggressive, refused to be handcuffed and would not be subdued even after being hit with debilitating PAVA pepper spray.

Homeless Bell only began to come quietly at the city address on Saturday, March 14, when an officer withdrew her high voltage Taser and fired a warning.

She still had to take a step back, fearing she and others at the property were at risk, prosecutor Glenda Beck said.

Bell committed the resist police offence while on licence from a previous crime and has now been recalled to prison for 14 days.

Mrs Beck told South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court: “Officers attended after a third-party report from CCTV about another matter.

“As result, a distressed female was seen downstairs, and a male was on the sofa.

“An officer took the male into another room but went back to the living room because another male, the defendant, had jumped out of a cupboard.

“He was intoxicated and aggressive and would not put his hands in handcuffs. He made several attempts to get out of the flat.

“He grabbed an officer’s vest and attempted to pull her to the floor. Her colleague used PAVA spray, which was ineffective.

“Due to the risk to herself and others, she withdrew her Taser and took a step back and identified herself.

“The defendant calmed slightly but was still resisting arrest as officers put cuffs on him.”

Bell, who was jailed for shop thefts when he last came before a court last year, pleaded guilty to a charge of resisting arrest.

Alastair Naismith, defending, told District Judge Zoe Passfield: “I’ve watched the body worn.

“At no point was he out of control, there were always two officers controlling him, he just wouldn’t put his hands behind his back.

“He is being recalled, so I’d ask you to deal with it by way of a discharge or financial penalty.”

Judge Passfield jailed Bell for one day for the resist offence, which she said he had already served while waiting for his case to come to court.