Man kicked female police officer in the head, taking shameful total to six

Clinton Barnes, 41, of Hetton, hoofed her accidentally when he tumbled over and raised a leg while being detained in the town’s Front Street on Sunday, August 4.

Clinton, of The Waterhouse, caused the officer immediate pain, prosecutor John Garside told South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court.

The court heard he committed the act of violence while subject to a suspended sentence for a previous offence.

He had also been boozing, despite recently completing a court-ordered alcohol rehabilitation treatment programme.

District Judge Zoe Passfield jailed Barnes for 22 weeks by activating the suspended sentence of 10 weeks and adding a 12-week concurrent term for the assault.

Mr Garside told the hearing: “Police arrested the defendant for an offence that has not come before the courts.

“The defendant grabbed hold of the officer and kicked out towards her, hitting her head and causing immediate pain.

“He comes before the court with previous convictions.”

Barnes pleaded guilty to a charge of assault by beating of an emergency worker.

Annalisa Moscardini, defending, told the judge: “He didn’t intentionally hit the officer, he did not intend to kick her.

“He accepts that he must have hit her. I appreciate, given the manner of the offence, where your mind may be.

“I ask that if you send him into custody you bear in mind that he has completed some of the suspended sentence, and is remorseful.”

The Probation Service revealed Barnes had been subject to a six-month alcohol treatment scheme which he had completed. 

Jailing him, Judge Passfield said: “I give you credit for your early guilty plea but you’ve five previous convictions for assaulting emergency workers in the last two years, which most recently led to a suspended sentence.

“You are in breach of that suspended sentence. I take the view that it is not unjust to activate the suspended sentence.”

The judge ordered Barnes to pay the officer £100 compensation. There were no court costs.