Sunderland man spat in police officers' faces after call to Wearmouth Bridge

A man born addicted to booze has been jailed for spitting in the faces of two policemen who raced to his aid on a river bridge ledge.

Dylan Brown’s spittle hit the first officer square on his forehead after his 999 dash to Wearmouth Bridge a teatime on Friday, November 10.

Homeless Brown, 21, of Sunderland, who had been brought to safety by passers-by, repeated the trick minutes later, hitting the second PC on his cheek.

At South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court his life situation was described as “hopeless” by his defence solicitor, Angus Westgarth.

He described his client as being born with alcohol foetal syndrome, having a low IQ and his cause being “forlorn” without outside intervention.

District Judge Zoe Passfield jailed Brown for four months concurrently for his two offences and ordered him to pay each officer £50 compensation.

Prosecutor Paul Anderson said: ‘This defendant is described as being on the wrong side of railings on Wearmouth Bridge.

“I take that to mean he’s on the side where one false move and it’s into the river. There are members of the public about.

“Police are dispatched, and when they arrive, he’s back on the right side. He is extremely drunk.

“He spat on an officer’s forehead, and he tried to kick out a window of a police vehicle. He was arrested. He was swearing.

“Other officers arrived, and the defendant has made threats. He then spits at another officer, hitting him in the face.

“The officer wiped it from his cheek and the defendant was restrained on the ground and taken into custody.

“He swore and said, ‘I’ll spit straight in your face’.”

Brown pleaded guilty to two counts of assault of an emergency worker by beating.

He has appeared in court four other times this year and was jailed for the same offence in February.

Mr Westgarth: “He’s a young man who’s had horrendous difficulties throughout his life. 

“He’s just come back up from Middlesbrough where he was settled. He was intoxicated and has gone back to his old ways.

“It’s just a hopeless situation. These are awful offences, which he accepts. He thinks he’s made a mistake in coming back to Sunderland.

“He says that for the last few months, he’s been trying to find out what’s happening to him.”