Sunderland yob is jailed after hurling iron weight at policeman

Callum Snowball, 23, pulled the heavy disc from his pocket when two officers approached him in Poplar House, Tatham Street, at 10.30am on Sunday just gone, a court heard.

He swore at them and made threats before hurling the weight, which hit a wall and ricocheted into an officer’s back.

Though protected from injury by his body armour, the officer said Snowball’s actions had made him fear for his safety, magistrates in South Tyneside were told.

Prosecutor Glenda Beck said: “The defendant had an iron weight disc in his pocket.

“As the officers entered the canteen, he produced the iron weight from his trousers. He was holding it and making threats.

“He threw the weight towards a police officer and it hit the wall behind him, causing damage.

“After it hit the wall it ricocheted and hit him on the back. There were no injuries because of his body armour. The defendant was arrested.

“He was interviewed at a police station in which he made no reply to questions asked of him.”

In a statement, the officer said: “I’ve been a police officer for 18 years and I’ve faced many violent incidents, but I genuinely feared for my safety.”

The court heard Snowball’s criminal act put him in breach of a three-month prison sentence, imposed in July 2019 for causing criminal damage and suspended for a year.

Tom Morgan, defending, said: “Mr Snowball is a man of significant mental health issues.

“He suffered a significant bereavement in unexpected circumstances 2016 and has spent time since then to try his best to deal with these problems.

“All of his offensive behaviour and substance misuse comes from that sudden experience, and this is no different.

Snowball, of no fixed address, admitted assaulting an emergency worker, criminal damage and causing harassment, alarm or distress.

He was jailed for eight weeks for causing harassment, alarm or distress and eight weeks for breach of a suspended sentence, to run concurrently.

There was no separate penalty for the other charges and he must also pay Poplar House £100 compensation.