Morpeth father admits attacking police officer who turned up to arrest him with his son

A Morpeth father and son have been handed community service after assaulting a police officer in their home.

Two Northumbria Police officers turned up at the home of Neil Emmonds, 50, and Daniel Emmonds, 21, after police received an harassment allegation relating to the senior man.

Neil Emmonds was initially polite and compliant at their Clarks Field address but things quickly turned sour.

Son Daniel, 21, came downstairs to find his dad being questioned by the officer when his father became agitated and said "I'm ready to f*****g kick off".

Prosecutor Laura Lax told Bedlington Magistrates' Court on October 31: "At 8.40pm on September 1 two officers went to the address.

"Neil Emmonds was initially polite and invited them in and they sat on the settee.

"The officers noticed an empty bottle of vodka and a glass half full with brown liquid on the table, they noted he was intoxicated.

"They spoke to him and he was initially calm and said he would go into custody...but became distressed."

His son Daniel came downstairs and called the officers a 'bunch of a*******s' and became aggresive.

The behaviour of both defendants 'escalated' and Emmonds Sr said 'I tell you what son, I'm ready to f*****g kick off'.

Both men tried to manhandle an officer out of the address, grabbing and pulling him towards the door.

The younger of the two defendants then punched the officer in the head 'three or four times' and grabbed him by the throat.

Neil Emmonds was pepper-sprayed but continued struggling and Daniel Emmonds was knocked out cold by a blow from the officer in self-defence.

In a victim impact statement, one of the officers said the incident was 'one of the most disgusting things I've been involved in in my life, they showed no respect for the emergency services'.

Defending, Alan Brown conceded it was an 'unpleasant incident that sprung out of nothing'.

He told the court Neil Emmonds has been subject to harassment complaints from an ex-partner which he insists are vexatious and had been trying to explain the situation to the officers when he lost his temper.

It was the third complaint of that nature made about Neil Emmonds and no action was taken by officers on the previous two occasions.

Mr Brown said Daniel Emmonds was 'acting out of support and faith' in his father and the pair got carried away.

Chairman of the bench George Curry told the pair: "We must never take the law into our own hands.

"It can be frustrating but you must go along with what the police officer advises you to do."

Both were ordered to carry out 80 hours of unpaid and pay compensation of £100 each, on top of a £90 victim surcharge and £85 court costs.