A drunken wheelchair-bound man threatened people inside a pub with a metal bar and assaulted a police officer while threatening to spread a contagious disease by throwing a sock seeped in his own blood and bodily fluids, a court heard.
Anthony Readman, 54, from Thirsk, had earlier been asked to leave the Durham Ox pub in Northallerton but returned a short time later where he got out of his wheelchair, stood up, brandished a metal bar and threatened people with the weapon, York magistrates were told.
Prosecutor Georgina Fishwick said that Readman was “ultimately restrained and removed from the premises” following the incident on December 5 last year and was put into a police van.
He then urinated in the back of the van and, on arrival at Harrogate Police Station, spat at a police constable and threw a medical sock full of his blood and bodily fluids at him.
Ms Fishwick said that as Readman spat at the officer, he “threatened to spread his diseases”.
The spittle landed on the officer’s arm, whereupon Readman “threw a sock full of blood and bodily fluids towards the officer”.
Readman kept shouting that he had Hepatitis C and that he “hoped that others would catch it” from him.
The Thirsk man, of Hambleton Close, was charged with affray and carrying an offensive weapon inside the pub, damaging a police vehicle and assaulting an emergency worker.
He admitted the offences and appeared for sentence on his wheelchair today (August 4).
In a statement read out by the prosecution, the police officer spoke of his “fear of catching a contagious disease”.
Ms Fishwick said that Readman’s previous convictions included affray and assaulting emergency workers.
In 2024, he was convicted of assaulting a police officer “in the same way”, namely by spitting at the officer while “shouting that he had a contagious disease”.
His solicitor Rashida Khan said that despite Readman’s threats to the police officer while in custody on December 5, he didn’t have any diseases.
“He said it because he was extremely drunk,” she added.
“He said at the time that he had some infections on his leg which required him to have a sock on. The infections were because of his injury and (were) not contagious.
“They were bloody and infected; that’s why he’s had to go back into hospital, and they are considering amputation of that leg but (there’s) nothing contagious.”
She said that Readman had “limited recollection” of the incident at the pub in High Street because of his intoxication.
She said he carried the metal bar around with him because it “helps him with his wheelchair and disability”.
She said that since his arrest he had referred himself for alcohol treatment and had stopped drinking.
She said that Readman, who was on benefits, was on medication “for all his medical ailments”.
Readman, sat in his wheelchair beside the dock, then interjected and said he had three pathogens or contagious diseases, which contradicted what he had told his solicitor before the hearing.
“One is airborne and two are (by) touch,” he added.
Deputy District judge Imran Hussain labelled Readman’s actions “reprehensible”.
He said that Readman had thrown what appeared to be a sock “seeped in your bodily fluids” at the officer and was “continuously disruptive” while in police custody.
The judge told Readman: “Police officers deserve protection. This court doesn’t have sufficient powers to punish you.”
Mr Hussain sent the case to York Crown Court where Readman will be sentenced on August 26. He was granted unconditional bail until then.
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