Newtownstewart man jailed for a series of violent offences

A NEWTOWNSTEWART man on a ‘cocktail of drugs’ has been jailed for 11 months after spitting at police during his arrest.

Matthew Wilson (26), of Deerpark Road, was sentenced at Strabane Magistrates Court on Thursday.

He was charged with assault, disorderly behaviour, resisting police, ten counts of assaulting police and two counts of criminal damage.

The offences relate to an incident on July 13, when police were called to a house regarding an ongoing disturbance.

When they arrived they found a woman outside ‘visibly distressed’, who told police that Wilson had pushed her against a wall and demanded money from her.

She added that the man was on a ‘cocktail of drugs’ at the time.

Activating their body-worn cameras, they entered the home and found Wilson upstairs shouting down the phone at someone.

After a short discussion the Newtownstewart man initially complied with his arrest until he insisted going down the stairs by himself.

Police objected and Wilson became irate, verbally abusing the officers, barging into one constable in the doorway downstairs.

He then began spitting on the officers and kicked one constable in the leg as he refused to get into the police car.

A cell van was requested and limb restraints were applied as Wilson continued to spit and give abuse to the police.

Enroute to custody, the 26-year-old continued to spit and scream in the back of the van, which needed ‘extensive cleaning’ afterwards.

Defence counsel Sinead Rogan told the court that Wilson had spent three months in custody and wanted to put the incident behind him.

District judge Alana McSorley sentenced Wilson to 11 months in custody.

Ms Rogan subsequently asked for the defendant to be remanded in custody for an appeal to be lodged.