A MAN who bit one police officer and kicked another following his arrest has successfully appealed to reduce his near six month prison sentence.

Anthony Sean Price, 22, received the total of 24 weeks behind bars, 12 weeks for each of two counts of assaulting a police officer in the execution of their duty.

It stems from his arrest while worse the wear for drink, on “enclosed premises” in Sacriston, County Durham, late on May 25.

Durham Crown Court heard that although initially co-operative, once handcuffed Price became argumentative and aggressive, shouting abusively at a female police constable, kicking her in the thigh and spitting towards her face, albeit missing and hitting her jacket.

A male colleague intervened, sitting alongside Price in the police van.

Martin Towers, prosecuting, said during the journey to a police station Price leaned forward and bit the sergeant in the upper arm, retaining his teeth in the flesh for some time, causing "significant pain”.

Once prised off the officer, Price began spitting in his direction, kicking out and verbally abusing him.

Mr Towers said the officer suffered numbness and heavy bruising to the arm and had to attend hospital for treatment.

Price, 22, of Fair View, Witton Gilbert, near Durham, was “unrepentant” when interviewed, saying he hated the police, claiming he acted in self-defence.

But he admitted both offences of assaulting a police officer prior to being sentenced by North Durham magistrates last month.

Appealing against the length of sentence, Paul Donohue, for Price, said it was accepted it merited custody, but felt there was not enough of a deduction to merit his early guilty pleas.

Recorder Jonathan Bennett, sitting with two magistrates, agreed, and although describing it as “an unpleasant incident”, reduced the sentence to 20 weeks.