A MAN who spat at a policeman after being arrested has appeared in court.

Darren John Whitehouse, 34, of Gurney Street, Darlington, pleaded guilty to Darlington magistrates of being drunk and disorderly, damaging a police car and assaulting a police officer by spitting at him.

The court heard that PC Richard Laviolette visited Gurney Street on June 29 after reports of a noisy party.

As he tried to disperse the party, Whitehouse became angry and started swearing at the police officer.

He was arrested and put into PC Laviolette's car where he spat at the officer four times, catching him on the left-hand side of the face.

Eventually PC Laviolette called for a police van.

Alison Banks, mitigating, said Whitehouse did not normally drink and the alcohol he had drunk that night had a greater effect than he thought.

She added: "He would hate anybody to do that to him. He feels that he let himself down and let his family down."

He was given a 40-hour community punishment order and ordered to pay £50 compensation and £43 costs.