A MAN has been jailed for spitting at a police constable in his 18th assault against officers.

Newton Aycliffe Magistrates Court heard that a volatile relationship was to blame for Christopher Miles Mulholland’s growing frustration with police officers.

The Darlington man was jailed on Thursday after assaulting a constable in the execution of his duty by spitting in the PC’s face after being arrested on Saturday, July 23.

Magistrates heard that Mulholland, 33, had been locked up in police cells on numerous occasions after being reported by his girlfriend for a variety of offences, many of which did not progress further.

His most recent offence came after a police search that saw an officer point a taser at him before attempting to put him into a police van.

Prosecutor Laura Lax said officers had been trying to find him in relation to a separate offence when they stumbled upon him fighting two people bare-chested at an address in Darlington.

Mulholland - of George Street - ran from the scene after spotting the officers and, when eventually caught, spat in an officer’s eye and mouth, as well as in the police van.

Ben Pegman, mitigating, said Mulholland had become frustrated at intense and “robust” police attention.

He said: “His current relationship has some volatility.

“It is not uncommon, in the course of an argument, that police become involved and it is usual that no action will follow.

“In the summer of this year, he was held in police custody on three consecutive weekends with no resulting further action.

“Perhaps this is a case of thinking of spending another weekend in cells knowing nothing will come of it.

“He has a lot of attention on him from the police, often ill-founded.”

District Judge Helen Cousins activated an existing suspended sentence for 20 weeks and added 12 weeks.

She said: “I understand the frustration you must have felt being arrested again knowing nothing was going to come of it but you cannot expect to assault officers 18 times and not go to prison.”

From the public gallery, Mulholland’s partner said: “I am not to blame for all of this, I’ve lost a lot, too.”

As Mulholland was led out of the dock, he called: “I love you, babe.”