Police ‘red dotted’ South Shields man with Taser after he kicked policewoman during street arrest

Eric Plewes, 50, turned aggressive when officers spoke to him in Whiteleas Way, Whiteleas.

During a struggle, Plewes, of Landseer Gardens, also Whiteleas, kicked a policewoman’s leg, causing soreness, prosecutor John Garside said.

Earlier on Friday, August 26, officers had attended the home he shares with his partner in response to a claim of a domestic incident.

Magistrates in South Tyneside were told no action was taken and that Plewes later suffered a fit and took himself to hospital for treatment.

His solicitor claimed he was walking peacefully home when again approached by police who would not listen to his claims of illness – and made to arrest him.

Mr Garside said: “Police were asked to attend and on driving through Whiteleas Way, they came across the defendant.

“They were aware that he’d been involved in a domestic argument with his partner that evening.

“They spoke to him, and he said that he was going back there. He became verbally abusive and physically violent.

“He kicked out at the officer to her right lower leg a few times.

“An officer has drawn their Taser and shortly afterwards he was placed in handcuffs after being red dotted.”

Plewes, whose last conviction was for being drunk and disorderly in 2007, pleaded guilty to common assault of an emergency worker.

Rebecca Highton, defending, said police had been called to an alleged domestic incident but had taken no action – and carer Plewes had then suffered a fit.

She added: “He told them he was unwell and was on his way home from hospital. He said he didn’t want to talk to them and just wanted to go home.

“They arrested him for a breach of the peace, and it was during that arrest that they pulled him to the ground with considerable force.

“He did, accidentally, strike an officer, it was not his intention to do so. He couldn’t be more sorry.”

Magistrates fined Plewes £120, with £85 court costs and a £48 victim surcharge, and ordered him to pay the officer £50 compensation.