Man climbed bridge after prison release
TRAFFIC CHAOS AS POLICE HAD TO TALK EX-CON DOWN
A FREED prisoner caused two hours of traffic chaos when he scaled a Tyneside bridge because he was homeless following his release from jail.
Emergency services were called to Scotswood Bridge on a Saturday afternoon when Jonathan Ridley climbed the structure and refused to come down.
In total, 10 police officers, three fire engines, an ambulance crew and a Coastguard boat attended the scene at “significant public expense”, a court was told.
Both carriageways over the bridge were closed as a cherry picker was used to lift trained negotiators up to the 26-year-old.
After around two hours, Ridley finally agreed to come down and he was arrested for causing a public nuisance.
North Tyneside Magistrates’ Court heard that, on his way to the police station, Ridley told officers that he had been released from prison two days earlier and that, if he didn’t get help with housing, he would climb the bridge again. Now Ridley, of Croftwell Close, Blaydon, Gateshead, has been given a community order after he pleaded guilty to one count of causing a public nuisance. Iain Jordan, prosecuting, said the officers were called to Scotswood Bridge at around 5.40pm on Saturday, October 7. When they arrived, they saw Ridley on top of the structure but were unable to hear what he was shouting because of passing traffic noise and the fact he was so high up. The prosecutor added: “It was clear he was refusing to come down. A decision was made to close the northbound carriageway in case he was to fall off on to the road.
“However, the southbound carriageway had to be closed too as the officers still couldn’t hear the defendant, who was still refusing to come down.”
After being spoken to at length by negotiators, Ridley did come down and was assessed by medics before being arrested.
Mr Jordan said: “As a result of this incident, three fire engines, an ambulance crew, a Coastguard boat, 10 officers and five police cars were all called out at significant public expense.
“There was a nuisance caused to the road users and the public and the bridge was closed for two hours.”
David Parish, mitigating, said Ridley suffered from a drug problem and had been contemplating taking his own life.
The solicitor added: “He’s a man caught in a cycle where drug usage leads to offending, which leads to custody, which leads to homelessness, which leads to drug use.”
Ridley was fined £10, given a nine-month community order and was put on a drug rehabilitation requirement.