A violent thug who was one of the main instigators of violence towards police in Middlesbrough told police, ‘I couldn’t give a f***’ as he was arrested.

Charlie Bullock, 21, went along to riots in the town last Sunday (August 4) wearing black and a balaclava.

Prosecutor Miss Rachel Masters said he threw stones and rocks at police and pushed against the police line.

Officer PC Lake who saw Bullock, of Donnington Green, Middlesbrough described him as “one of the main instigators of the violence towards the police”.

When officers moved in to arrest him Bullock, who appeared in the dock in a grey prison uniform, “kicked out”. A mob gathered around him and “repeatedly assaulted the officer”, the court heard before police managed to arrest him.

As they put him in cuffs Bullock told them: “I couldn’t give a f***”.

Bullock, who had no previous convictions admitted one charge of violent disorder at an earlier hearing and was locked up for 18 months.

Mitigating, his barrister Mr Wood said: “He accepts full responsibility for his actions. He tells me this morning he is completely ashamed of his behaviour and what he has done.

“He holds his hands up to what the prosecution says he has done and doesn’t try in any way to minimise his role in the offending.”

He added Bullock is of previous good character but lacks maturity and “holds no racist views – he doesn’t align himself with far-right views”. He added that he hadn’t taken his ADHD medication and had been drinking on the day, but insists he was not drunk.

The court heard eight officers were injured during the course of unrest in Middlesbrough and just under £100k worth of damage was caused to police property.

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Sentencing him Judge Francis Laird KC said: “You chose to take part in a large-scale and violent act of public disorder.”