A city centre ranger was bitten on the arm by a drug addict who accused him of spilling his burger.
The NE1 ranger was sent to check on the welfare of Callum Goodwin after he was spotted slumped on the path in Newcastle. He shook him to try to rouse him and make sure he was alive and well and after initially failing to respond, he stood up.
Goodwin then realised he had dropped a burger onto the ground and blamed the ranger, sparking violent scenes which culminated his him wrapping his teeth around his arm. The “feckless” yob went on to injure two more people in Jesmond weeks later and now Goodwin, who told his barrister he doesn’t want to be a “divvy” for the rest of his life, has been jailed.
Newcastle Crown Court heard it was around 11.15 am on February 24 last year that the NE1 ranger was sent to Grainger Street after a report from someone at the Forbidden Planet shop, saying they were concerned for the welfare of a man who was on the path outside. The ranger attended and found the man – Callum Goodwin – slumped with a spilled burger on his clothes.
The ranger tried to shake Goodwin to check he was alive and well but he didn’t respond. He made a noise when the ranger persisted in trying to make sure he was alright before eventually standing up.
Neil Pallister, prosecuting, said: “The defendant realised the burger he had was in pieces on the floor and he became agitated and blamed the ranger for it, shouting ‘why did you do that to my burger, I’m going to smash your head in’.
“He was pacing backwards and forwards and got in his face and began trying to spit on him, on a number of occasions.” When the victim put his hands out against his chest to try to control him, Goodwin shouted that he was being assaulted.
He then grabbed the man’s body worn video camera and threw it across the street. There was then a struggle in which Goodwin wrapped his teeth around his arm and bit him then kicked him.
The victim, who was left with a large bruise and bite mark, said in a victim impact statement: “It made me feel angry and concerned for my wellbeing.” He added: “I do a lot for the community in my role and there’s no excuse for this behaviour.”
Sentencing him, Recorder Ian Mullarkey said: “You accused him of having interfered with your burger and then began to make threats to smash his head in.” He added: “The ranger then went to restrain you on the ground and as he did so you bit him on the arm. Members of the public intervened and the police were called and arrested you.”
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While on police bail for that, on March 17, Goodwin kicked off again in Hazelwood Avenue, Jesmond. He went to the back yard of a property uninvited, pushed a man and shouted ‘keep the f****** noise down or I will smash your head in’.
He was told to leave and forced out of the yard and his repeated efforts to get back in were thwarted. He then began indiscriminately throwing items from the alley into the yard, including big bags, glass bottles and bricks.
Two people in the yard suffered minor injuries as a result of his actions – one was cut by a shard of glass and another was struck on the arm with a brick. Recorder Mullarkey said: “I’ve seen the footage of what you were doing.
“It was completely feckless behaviour, throwing those items over the wall, not knowing who or what could be struck by them. They were shocked and scared by what you did.”
Goodwin, 31, of Walker Road, Walker, Newcastle, who has 50 previous convictions admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm in relation to the ranger and affray. He was jailed for 16 months.
Robin Turton, defending, said: “This defendant has a long-standing poly-substance problem, addiction. He said to me ‘I don’t want to be a divvy for the rest of my life’.”
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