A man has been ordered to pay £400 in compensation to Norfolk Constabulary, after he spat in a police vehicle and deliberately harmed himself and urinated in another.
Joseph Hardstaff, 43, of Gertrude Road, Norwich, pleaded guilty to two charges of causing criminal damage to property valued under £5,000 at Norwich Magistrates Court on Tuesday.
The court heard how on August 19, following an incident at his home address, Hardstaff was put in a police vehicle where he started to spit on the floor and window. He was then moved into a prison van, where he urinated, spat and repeatedly banged his head leaving blood on the cell window.
Mitigating, James Burrows described Hardstaff as a 'functioning alcoholic' and said that by his own admission, Hardstaff had been drinking on the August 19.
Chairman of the bench Paul Kidd ordered Hardstaff to pay £200 compensation for each police vehicle as both had to be biologically cleaned and temporarily taken out of service.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here