South Tyneside man with hatred of police kicked female officer in the face as he was locked in police van cage
A South Tyneside man with a hatred of police has been jailed for kicking a female officer in the face and another in the chest during his arrest.
Neil McKay, 55, is starting 10 weeks behind bars for attacks committed in drink and while resisting attempts to place him in a police van’s cage. McKay, of Beach Road, central South Shields, caused the first WPC to stumble backwards when he lashed out and struck her chest on Tuesday, November 11.
He hit the second officer on her left cheek when he kicked out again, prosecutor Lesley Burgess told South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court. The offender initially denied two counts of assault by beating of an emergency worker but changed his plea to guilty on the day of trial.
Jailing McKay, District Judge Zoe Passfield described his attacks as “serious, particularly the kick to the face”. Mrs Burgess told the hearing: “He was clearly drunk, and they approached him to find out what was going on.
“He immediately became aggressive and started struggling. One officer tried to apply handcuffs to him, and he resisted. He did calm down and walked to the police van, but he was still aggressive and had to be restrained on the ground and he kicked out with force.
“He kicked a PC on the chest, winding her and causing her to stumble backwards. When officers tried to put him in the cage, he continued to struggle. The defendant then used his left leg to kick out, again with force, and he made contact with the second officer’s face, to her left cheek. He told the police how much he hates the police.”
Geoffrey Forrester, defending, said McKay’s height and long legs had added to the difficulties of getting him into the van. He added: “Part of the kick out is when he’s being jammed into the van. He's a tall man. He was stuck in the door.
“A passerby intervened and persuaded the officers to stop. His behaviour has been fashioned as a child. Without intervention he will be back here again. He was drunk, it’s a pattern of behaviour that has persisted into adult life.”
McKay was jailed for 10 weeks for the face kick and eight weeks for the other assault, to run concurrently. He must pay compensation of £150 to the officer whose face he hit and £100 to her colleague. There were no court costs.