South Shields man jailed after threatening police with his dog and being found with knuckle duster

Carl Wilson, 34, was serving a suspended sentence for knife offences when confronted by police outside his home in Tadema Road, near South Shields seafront.

Footage from a policewoman’s bodyworn camera, played to borough magistrates, caught him warning, “If you come near my door, I’ll set the dog on you”.

His daylight hours threats, on Sunday, August 7, lasted more than five minutes and would have instilled fear, his own solicitor admitted.

He pleaded guilty to offences of common assault of an emergency worker and possession of an offensive weapon.

It led magistrates to activate the full six months of his suspended sentence and hand him separate suspended prison terms totalling 23 weeks.

Prosecutor Greg Flaxen said: “Police attended on an unrelated matter. The knuckle duster was found in his pocket.

“The bodyworn footage shows him holding quite a large dog which is described by the police as a pit bull.

“He swears at the officers and shouts in an aggressive manner. He says, ‘If you come near my door, I’ll set the dog on you’.

“It’s not just a short-lived moment, this was five-minutes-plus and threats with a dog.”

The court heard Wilson’s brother was lawfully killed by police in March 2016.

He died in hospital three days after being shot by an officer in self-defence after he brandished an air rifle Frenchman’s Way, also South Shields.

Elizabeth Aisbitt, defending, said Wilson’s mental health had been heavily impacted by that and the later death of his sister.

She added: “Mr Wilson had no recollection of his actions at all. Through me, he wishes to apologise to the officer for his behaviour.

This is a man who is before the court asking for help in matters of his thinking skills and grief support. He’s in a different mindset now.

“He was heavily under the influence of cocaine at the time of these offences which would have affected his thinking skills.”

For possession of an offensive weapon, Wilson was jailed for 23 weeks, suspended for 12 months.

He was jailed for 13 weeks on the assault charge, also suspended for a year and to run concurrently.

He must pay £620 court costs, having initially pleaded not guilty to the charges, and a £154 victim surcharge and £50 compensation to the officer.

His six-month prison sentence was imposed in September 2021 for three knife-related offences, and was suspended for a year.