AN off-duty police officer was praised for his “conspicuous bravery” confronting two drunken and threatening men, who were stealing from cars and garages in a residential area.

PC Steve Callaghan earned an official judge’s commendation for his actions helping to bring Neil Anthony Bennett and Paul Anthony Graham to book, as they went on a drunken spree, trying car and garage doors in a street in Bishop Auckland.

Durham Crown Court was told that thanks to the efforts of PC Callaghan and his wife, Claire, also a serving police officer, the offenders’ rampage was brought to a halt with the arrival of colleagues, called to the scene in the early hours of December 28.

Bennett, 29, of St Luke’s Close, Bishop Auckland, and 30-year-old Graham, of Wood View, Spennymoor, were today (Thursday February 19) both given prison sentences of two years and four months, after admitting affray, a domestic garage burglary and interfering with five parked cars.

Chris Baker, prosecuting, said the Callaghans were awoken by noises outside their home, at about 2.25am.

They looked out to see a man trying the handle of a neighbour’s parked Vauxhall Zafira.

As PC Callaghan called for police assistance, his wife went out and asked the men what they were doing.

Mr Baker said she identified herself as a serving officer and told the pair to empty their pockets, but Bennett shouted to Graham: “Have you got the knife? Just stab her. Do it.”

As she backed off, she was joined by her husband, who was confronted by the pair jumping round aggressively, waving their arms, making further threats to burn down their house and kill him.

PC Callaghan tried to prevent the pair, who he described as being “off their heads”, leaving the street until colleagues arrived.

Although Bennett and Graham ran off and tried to hide, both were found and arrested in the area within a short time.

Graham struggled with an officer and lunged at PC Callaghan, and so had to be restrained until other police personnel reached the scene.

The court heard both Bennett and Graham have a history of offences on dishonesty on their records.

Don MacFaul, representing both, said they had been starting to keep out of trouble until the, “wild night” following a drinking binge.

Jailing both, with an extra month added to Bennett’s sentence for breach of a previous suspended prison sentence, Judge Christopher Prince described their behaviour as, “outrageous and terrifying.”

He praised the actions of the off-duty officers, commending PC Callaghan for his actions in the face of such threatening behaviour