Radcliffe: Warning for 'playfighting' thug who spat at police

Curtis Taylor, 29, was arrested when police found him with blood on him after being called to reports of an assault on Duxbury Drive, Bury.

Minshull Street Crown Court heard how Taylor, of Seddon Avenue, Radcliffe, "maintained he had been playfighting" but matters escalated when police dropped him off, only to have to rearrest him when he went straight back to Duxbury Drive.

Katy Laverty, prosecuting, said: “The defendant started screaming and shouting, he refused to get out of the vehicle and he then said ‘I will stab you.’”

The case was heard at Minshull Street Crown Court (Image: Newsquest)

Ms Laverty told the court how Taylor, who has 24 previous convictions for 31 offences, ended up spitting at one of the officers and he was arrested for common assault on an emergency worker.

He pleaded guilty at the first opportunity on July 13 last year, but this marks the second time Taylor has been brought to court for this crime.

Taylor was last brough before the court in September last year, with his sentence deferred until now which had given him another chance to avoid prison.

But Ms Laverty explained that since then he had been back at the Magistrates Court, where he had pleaded guilty to another assault charge.

In that case he had kicked out in the direction of a police officer who he said he did not know was there.

Michael Lea, defending, argued that Taylor still deserved credit for having pleaded guilty and told the court that he had been working at trying to improve his behaviour.

He added that since his release from prison, where he had been on remand, Taylor had been in employment and was prepared to make progress with his community order.

Mr Lea said: “He is willing to do that and he has shown that he can do that.”

Judge Angela Nield agreed to defer Taylor’s sentencing again but warned about what the consequences could be if he fails to improve his behaviour.

She ruled that he will have to continue in his employment, continue to engage with probation and to engage with the healthy minds programme.

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Judge Nield also gave the defendant a stern warning about what could happen if he offends again in that time.

She said: “Any further incidents, any arrests because an arrest implies a confrontation of some sort then this matter will be brought straight back.”

Judge Nield set the next date for Tuesday, February 28.