'When cuffs come off, I will knock you out' - Drunken threats at South Shields festival

The Bents Park Festival is one of the highlights of the summer in Shields - but drunken behaviour can spoil all of that. | Shields Gazette

An aggressive drunk turned the air blue when he threatened police at a summer festival event at South Tyneside’s seafront, a court heard.

Shazad Arif, 41, swore at officers alerted to him drinking booze from a can amid a throng of attendees in South Shields’ Bents Park.

After being arrested, Arif, of Brentwood Place, near South Shields town hall, told a PC, “Watch when these cuffs come off and I will knock you out”.

He also puffed out his chest and balanced himself on his toes, making police fear he could lash out at 1pm on Monday, August 26.

Arif failed to attend his day in court before borough magistrates and they found a drunk and disorderly charge against him proven in his absence.

Detailing an officer’s statement, prosecutor Ruth Foster said police were informed by security that Arif was intoxicated.

They arrived to find people attending a food and drink event and the defendant on a seat close by.

Mrs Foster said Arif swore at the officer in asking what he wanted and was told to desist.

She said Arif then began to shout in an aggressive manner and widened his shoulders.

And Mrs Foster added: “When asked for his name, he said it was William Baines and that his date of birth was January 1, 1983.

“He also said, ‘Watch when these cuffs come off and I will knock you out’.”

A statement by a second officer confirmed Arif warned, “If you don’t let me go, you won’t like what happens. I’ll knock you out”.

Mrs Foster said the same statement revealed Arif had drunkenly glazed eyes, appeared intoxicated and had given false identification details.

The second officer also said Arif had “puffed his chest out in an aggressive manner and was balancing on the spot”.

The court heard the defendant has 30 previous convictions from 65 offences, the last in December.

Mrs Foster said he had been jailed and had “a history of nuisance behaviour”.

Magistrates fined Arif £180, with £85 court costs and a £48 victim surcharge, which will be added to the £1,500 he owes the courts from past criminality.