Drunken Sunderland man headbutted policeman after VE Day celebration

Michael Robinson, 36, of Townsend Road, Thorney Close, Sunderland, carried out the glancing blow attack the day after getting sozzled celebrating VE Day on Friday, May 9.

By lunchtime on the Saturday he had topped up his previous day’s alcohol levels by consuming cans of the strong Belgian beer, South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court heard.

Soon after, he was spotted by a concerned passer-by, seemingly collapsed on a stretch of grass at Durham Road, Sunderland, and police were called.

Prosecutor Paul Anderson said they arrived to find Robinson stumbling away with his pooch in tow.

He added: “It all comes about because the defendant had had too much to drink. He was seen by a member of the public appearing unconscious.

“He then gets to his feet and stumbles off with his dog. He swears when police come, and he’s arrested for being drunk and disorderly.”

Mr Anderson added: “He’s taken away. There’s a headbutt to an officer, but there’s not much of an injury, it’s more a glancing blow.

“It’s a minor injury, not a deliberate attack but rather a reckless assault due to intoxication.

“In the current climate, it’s an assault on a police officer going about his duty.”

In a statement read to the court, the officer said: “I do feel quite aggrieved about how he responded to us. After all, we were just trying to ensure he was ok.”

Ian Cassidy, defending, told the court: “He says he went out for VE Day and he was still under the influence of what he’d had the night before.“He takes his dog out and had a few cans of Stella, he says that topped him up.

“He pleads guilty on the basis of reckless regard. It’s more the actions of a drunk man rather than deliberately trying to cause injury.”

Robinson pleaded guilty to assaulting an emergency worker and to being drunk and disorderly.

He was fined £238 for the assault, must pay the officer £100 compensation and also pay £85 court costs.

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world.

But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspaper.

Thank you.

How to subscribe to the print edition:

It’s easy to subscribe to your local newspaper. We have arranged a special 20 per cent off subscription offer for people to take advantage of.

Visit www.localsubsplus.co.uk, choose the newspaper title, the type of subscription and enter your details.