A Workington man must wear a booze ban tag for 120 days after downing Prosecco and resisting police during what his lawyer called “upmarket drunkenness”.
Officers went to an address on the town’s Windsor Road after midnight on November 27 last year when a female raised concerned about 47-year-old Stephen Weaver.
They managed to speak to Weaver on the phone but he refused all help from them.
As police were about to leave, Weaver returned. His demeanour was “up and down”, and he was again offered support.
Officers formed the opinion he was drunk and initially “red-dotted” him with a Taser. He shouted abuse, slammed a garden gate, goaded the PCs to “lock me up” and shouted “I hope you die of dementia” towards one householder.
Upon arrest he resisted and lashed out, kicking towards at one constable “causing him to fear that he would be harmed”, prosecutor Andy Travis told Carlisle Magistrates’ Court today.
Further force was needed to restrain Weaver, of Windsor Road. Incapacitant spray and leg restraints were applied and he was taken into custody where boisterous behaviour continued.
When brought to court Weaver admitted being drunk and disorderly, and was convicted after a trial he didn’t attend of common assault against the officer.
Jeff Smith, giving mitigation, said Weaver had tried his best to behave after previously brushes with the law, the latest incident occurring amid his misuse of alcohol having consumed Prosecco. “Rather upmarket drunkenness and behaviour,” said Mr Smith. “He very much regrets what he did.”
Weaver was aware further alcohol abuse was “probably going to kill him”, he added.
District judge John Temperley imposed a community order and directed that Weaver should wear an alcohol abstinence monitoring tag for 120 days.
Weaver was also in breach of a crown court-imposed suspended prison sentence. A judge will now be informed of his latest conviction and must decide whether or not to take any further action.
