Court hears how South Tyneside man suspected of drink driving had to be calmed by police using spray

A South Tyneside man suspected of drink driving had to be subdued by police using defensive spray when he became aggressive upon arrest, a court heard.

Jordan Campbell, 26, told officers to “get off me” while preventing handcuffs being applied by refusing to let go of the central console of their car.

Campbell, of Cressida Gardens, Hebburn, smelled of booze and had glazed eyes – and was carrying two passengers in his Audi at 2.45am on Sunday, August 20.

A woman with him aggravated matters by shining a light from a mobile phone into the eyes of a PC, prosecutor Holly Clegg said.

When finally detained and transported to a police station, Campbell refused to be breathalysed or provide a blood sample to be tested for booze.

He committed the offence while on a suspended sentence, imposed last year after he pleaded guilty to possession of drugs with intent to supply.

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Borough magistrates refused to sentence him and instead sent him to be dealt with by a judge at Newcastle Crown Court.

Ms Clegg said: “Officers on patrol in the Gateshead area noticed a silver-grey Audi travelling west at high speed in Bede Gardens.

“There was a male in the driver’s seat, a female in the passenger seat and another passenger in the rear.

“An officer could smell intoxicants on the driver’s breath, and his eyes were glazed. He was asked to take a seat in the police vehicle.

“The roadside breath test facility was not available and so he was arrested for being unfit to drive.

“When handcuffs were attempted to be applied, he struggled and resisted and held on to the central console.

“He became aggressive and told the officer to ‘get off me’. The female got out and shone a bright light into the officer’s face.

“The officer deployed PAVA spray, which allowed the defendant to be handcuffed and taken to the station.”

Ms Clegg said Campbell then refused all police requests for breath and blood samples.

Campbell pleaded guilty to a charge of failing to provide a sample for analysis.

His 22-week jail sentence, suspended for 18 months, was imposed in May 2022 and related to an offence committed in 2020.

Janice Hall, defending, said: “He denies entirely that he was struggling or resisting.

“He has shown me a video of his arrest which does not appear to show any struggle.

“What happened at the police station was that he was asked to provide a specimen of blood.

“He had been PAVA sprayed and was struggling with the effects of that.

“When asked to provide a sample of blood, he indicated that he was not feeling well. He accepts that he could have given a sample of blood.”

Magistrates ordered a report into Campbell’s offending and granted him unconditional bail to be sentenced at the crown court on Tuesday October 3.

Campbell was handed an interim driving ban.