Houghton man fined for booting police car following arrest

Joseph Service, 42, of Stanley Street, smashed a window seal by booting a rear door when detained in the back seat at 10.30pm on New Year’s Day.

He inflicted the criminal damage while subject to a suspended prison sentence for an earlier offence, prosecutor John Garside said.

Service was therefore meant to be on his best behaviour until the order expired – or risk it being activated, and a jail term being imposed.

But he escaped that possible fate when District Judge Zoe Passfield showed leniency and punished him instead with financial penalties.

She was told the suspended prison term had since expired, no charge arose from his January 1 arrest, and he had committed no further offending.

Mr Garside told South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court: “He was arrested for a domestic incident and was placed in the rear of the vehicle.

“He used his feet to kick the door three times and damaged the seal, causing the door to bend outwards.

“He comes before the court with previous convictions. His suspended sentence has expired.”

Service pleaded guilty to charge of causing criminal damage, intending to destroy or damage property.

The only detail given of his suspended sentence was that it came with a requirement he completes 20 rehabilitation days.

Amy Rochester, defending, insisted it would be harsh for Service to be jailed.

She added: “The suspended sentence order has expired and there have been no breaches.

“On this evening, he took exception to being arrested because what had been reported had nothing to do with him.

“There was no charge in relation to that. He reacted badly to being arrested for an offence he did not commit.”

Judge Passfield fined Service £80 and ordered him to pay £200 compensation to Northumbria Police.

The judge added: “The offence is made more serious because, at the time, you were on a suspended sentence order.

“That suspended sentence order has now ended. I have two options, to activate or to fine.”