FATHER RUBBED BLOOD ON COPS

ADRINK-DRIVER wiped blood onto a police officer and soiled himself after he was placed in the back of a police van. After he was arrested he told the officer: “I am going to find out where you live and rape the f*** out of your families.”

James Durston, 35, had taken his partner’s Nissan Qashqai without permission and she called the police on June 18 last year to notify them he had been drinking and was disqualified from driving. The vehicle was located on the A465 in Tredegar and at around 7.30pm the defendant parked in Queen Victoria Street.

A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court heard an officer approached Durston and told him to take the key out of the ignition. The defendant complied and got into the back of a police car but kept his leg out to prevent them from shutting the door.

He admitted to being disqualified and police noticed his eyes were glazed, his speech was slurred and he smelled of alcohol. Durston carried out a roadside breath test and was arrested. When officers began to apply handcuffs the defendant became resistant and an attempt was made to apply foot straps to his ankles.

Duston kicked out at the officers and grabbed hold of one their wrists while digging his nails in. He was transported to the back of a police van and arrested on further charges to which he responded: “F*** you, show me the evidence”. He then said: “”I am going to find out where you live and rape the f*** out of your families”.

He began to bang his head on the seat in front of him which caused a cut to his head and when officers stopped the van to prevent him from causing further injury they discovered he had soiled himself. The defendant was wearing shorts at the time and faeces got onto the clothing of the officers.

Where his forehead had been cut Durston rubbed his head onto the officers causing blood to stain their uniform. He was taken to the Grange University Hospital in Cwmbran and had to be treated on the floor of the police van as it was not considered safe for him to enter the hospital. When he was later taken to Newport Central police station he gave a reading of 69mcg of alcohol per 100ml of breath, almost twice the drink-drive limit of 35mcg.

Durston, of Castle Close, Monmouth, later pleaded guilty to two counts of assaulting emergency workers, driving with excess alcohol, and driving whilst disqualified. The court heard he had seven previous convictions which included drink-driving, driving while disqualified and assaulting police officers.

Durston, who was unrepresented, said alcohol had played a big part in his offending but he is now attending Alcoholics Anonymous and is awaiting a prescription for Antabuse. The father-ofthree and self-employed electrician said he was “embarrassed and ashamed” of his actions and wished to apologise to the officers.

Durston was sentenced to a 12-month community order. He was ordered to carry out a 30-day rehabilitation activity requirement, 150 hours of unpaid work, pay court costs of £420 and disqualified from driving for three years.