Thug bit police officer's leg and breached restraining order when he was caught at ex's Sunderland home

Stephen McEvoy is banned from having contact with the woman by a lifelong restraining order and has been "in and out prison" for assaulting her and the police officers who are called out to protect her.

Newcastle Crown Court heard police had gone to the victim's home in Thorney Close, Sunderland, on June 18 and she appeared "fearful of being heard by someone else in the house".

McEvoy was then found sleeping in the woman's bed and was handcuffed.

Prosecutor Neil Jones told the court the 49-year-old was initially compliant but then his attitude changed.

Mr Jones told the court: "A police officer was heard to shout 'stop biting me' on a number of occasions. The PC struck him two to three times to the head to release the bite from his thigh.

"There was indeed a bite on his thigh, he had a one inch diameter bite mark and two teeth marks could be seen on the officer's thigh, with the skin raised."

The court heard McEvoy also threatened to kick the officer.

In a victim statement, the officer said: "I acknowledge there are people who do not like the police and our role. However, I do not accept being assaulted by them and certainly not bitten because of the additional risks this poses to personal health, especially due to the pandemic.

"I assisted him in getting dressed, allowed him dignity and treated him with respect and he decided to change his behaviour because he didn't like me holding onto the handcuffs."

The woman told police McEvoy had turned up at the house and fallen asleep, as he had done before and had warned her not to answer the door to the police, with the warning "If you do, I will burn your house down with you in it".

She said in an impact statement: "My relationship with him has been violent for so long I don't now remember what life was like without being scared."

The court heard McEvoy was given the restraining order in 2015 after an attack on the woman.

Since then, he has committed a series of offences against her and the police.

McEvoy, of no fixed address, admitted assault on an emergency worker and breach of a restraining order.

Judge Christopher Prince adjourned the case until Wednesday to allow prosecutors time to gather details about his previous convictions for violence, particularly past attacks on police.

The judge said; "Everybody, particularly police officers and the public, must know courts are not going to treat assaults on police officers as almost an occupational hazard that they are expected to tolerate during the course of their employment.

"Any form of assault on emergency worker ought to be treated with a degree of gravity by the courts.

"There is a real pattern of offending against police.

"I want to know what this man does to police officers."

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