Sunderland drunk verbally abused police officers called out to look for him

Police were called to Langley Terrace, in Tunstall after a call of concern for the well-being of Liam Beveridge.

They had received the 999 alert from a passer-by who spotted him lying under a parked car at 6.20pm on Thursday, March 10.

By the time the arrived in the street, the 30-year-old had gone. But they soon caught up with Beveridge, of Comet Square, Silksworth, who had walked to adjoining Healey Drive.

Instead of being grateful for their kind intervention, he shouted verbal abuse and lunged at one of two PCs present.

Beveridge failed to attend his court appearance in South Tyneside, where he was found guilty in his absence of a charge of being drunk and disorderly.

Prosecutor Paul Anderson said firearms authorised officers were called to deal with the defendant.

Reading from an officer’s statement, he said Beveridge had vanished from Langley Road but was quickly located a street away.

By that point, he was again lying down, this time on a grassed area, and a friend was trying to get him to go home.

Mr Anderson said Beveridge swore at police as he staggered to his feet, and even lunged towards one, leading him to be handcuffed.

He added: “He was taken to the ground, as he was trying to kick out. He was unsteady on his feet and extremely drunk.”

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

They heard he owned £1,800 in fines and costs from past offending, and had already paid off a further £1,500.