Drunk swore at police after being asked to leave Sunderland city centre

Dale Brown, 42, got himself into trouble when he got in the way of officers attending Market Square.

Brown, of High Street East, refused to budge despite repeated pleas by officers, South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court heard.

And when he finally shifted a short distance to another spot on Thursday, February 24, he let off a second verbal volley that led to his arrest.

He failed to attend his court date but entered a guilty plea to a charge of being drunk and disorderly in a public place via his solicitor in his absence.

Prosecutor Paul Anderson said: “The police are basically trying to deal with another matter in Market Square.

“They see Mr Brown and they ask him to move on. He was warned about being drunk in the centre of Sunderland.

“He doesn’t take kindly to that and swears at the officers. The police try to move him on further but it’s more of the same.

“As often happens in these circumstances, he is arrested for being drunk and disorderly.”

Defence solicitor Annalisa Moscardini confirmed Brown was subject to an alcohol treatment order, imposed by magistrates at an earlier court appearance for another crime.

She said he was complying with the order by going to appointments with a support service, but admitted: “I can’t say it is going well because he is still drinking.

“He has a long-standing problem with alcohol, as the court will be aware. This offence was a relatively minor matter.

“He says that he can’t recall it but that it would have been him. He doesn’t remember. I can put his plea in for him.

“He’s a nice man when he isn’t drinking, he genuinely is, but when he’s in drink, he’s not.

“He has been attending his meetings on the alcohol treatment order, he’s not in breach.”

Magistrates handed Brown a six-month conditional discharge, with £85 court costs and a £22 victim surcharge.

The court was told he owes £2,100 in past fines and costs.