Sunderland homeless man deliberately got arrested to get off the streets during freezing weather, court told

A homeless man was deliberately got himself arrested to get out of the cold.

David Vincent, 49, wound up a patrolling officer so much with his banter near Blandford Street, he was put in cells overnight, a court heard.

He first told the PC to leave a fellow rough sleeper alone as they huddled together for warmth in near freezing temperatures at 8.30pm on Monday, January 15, 2024.

Vincent then urged the officer to act kinder when dealing with those living without a roof over their heads, his defence solicitor told magistrates in South Tyneside.

But he purposely went too far by swearing and refusing to back off when given a last chance to leave the area.

Prosecutor Paul Coulson said the policeman was left with no option but to arrest Vincent and keep him locked until the following day.

Mr Coulson added: “An officer tried to rouse a man in the back lane. He then had to tell the defendant to go to the other end of the street.

“The defendant told his friend not to let the officer bully him. He said to the policeman that he had seen the way he spoke to homeless people.

“The officer said that he didn’t want to arrest him, but the defendant refused to go away, and he also swore and was given a final warning.

“He continued to abuse the officer who had no option but to arrest him.”

Vincent, who has 54 previous convictions from 108 offences, pleaded guilty to a charge of being drunk and disorderly.

Gerry Armstrong, defending, said: “Mr Vincent and others were in a back lane just trying to keep warm. The officer was trying to rouse one to try to get his attention.

“The officer kept telling Mr Vincent to go away but he kept going back. He told the officer there was no need to try to rouse him or to be going on like that.

“It was freezing cold, and Mr Vincent said just to lock him up. Mr Vincent was then going towards him with his hands out.

“He knew it was better to be arrested and to be in the warm than out in the cold that night.

“He knows he shouldn’t have done it and is sorry but says if the officer had been kinder, it wouldn’t have escalated into what it did.”

Magistrates sentenced Vincent to a six-month conditional discharge, with a £26 victim surcharge but no court costs.