Newcastle man spat on officer after being quizzed over driving

Newcastle man spat on officer after being quizzed over driving

28 November 2018

A NEWCASTLE man suspected of drink-driving spat at a police officer after being arrested for failing to stop, Downpatrick Court heard on Thursday.

Chris Rice (25), of Mourneview Avenue, was disqualified from driving for 18 months, fined £200 and given a concurrent sentence of 100 hours community service for eight motoring offences.

He admitted to driving while unfit, failing to provide a specimen, failing to stop, assaulting a police officer and resisting police.

He also admitted to driving without insurance, being an unaccompanied L driver and taking a motor vehicle without authority.

The court heard that police spotted Rice driving along Central Promenade in Newcastle on June 24.

A prosector said Rice sped away from police along the Bryansford Road after they signalled him to stop and went through a red light at one point.

Once police realised that Rice was not going to stop, they went to the home of the registered owner of the car which turned out to be Rice’s mother, who had not given him permission to use it.

Rice was arrested shortly after he returned to the house. He struggled with police and became aggressive before spitting the face of an officer, the prosecutor added.

He said that Rice also thwarted police attempts to get a breathalyser reading four times while he was in custody.

A defence barrister said Rice had committed “a nasty enough offence”. He said Rice was “ashamed of his behaviour and apologised to the police”.

He said had been drinking heavily that day due to personal matters. “He was a man in free fall at this time,” the barrister remarked.

He added that Rice “has now faced up to his offending”.

District Judge Amanda Brady told Rice he was lucky not to be going to jail as he “had sailed very close to the wind”.