A FORMER drug addict bit two policemen after they pinned him to the ground and punched him in the face when he tried to resist them, a court heard.

The ruckus broke out after officers attended John William McCabe's partner's house when neighbours reported an argument between the couple, the court heard.

Both officers needed hepatitis and tetanus injections as well as antibiotics following the incident, and McCabe was bleeding from his face when he was led out to the van, Darlington Magistrates' Court heard.

A female officer had been speaking toMcCabe's partner in the kitchen of the house in Denmark Street, off North Road, Darlington, and when he had tried to enter, twomale officers had prevented him.

David Maddison, prosecuting, said 34-year-old McCabe had invited one of the officers to have a fight, and the other had pinned him to the ground.

"He continued to struggle and in the struggle he bit the officer on his inner forearm, " said Mr Maddison.

"As a consequence, the officer had to punch him in the face several times.

"He continued to struggle and bit the other officer on the left wrist."

McCabe was restrained and taken to a cell.

He admitted at interview that he had been drinking and had taken cannabis before the incident.

Graham Hunsley, mitigating, said his client accepted he was at fault, but had lashed out because he had felt aggrieved with the officers telling him what to do in his partner's home because he had done nothing wrong.

"So far as he was concerned, they had done nothing wrong at all, " he said.

"Assaulting an officer is normally charged with something else. Here, there isn't anything else."

"I think it is an incident which does not reflect well on Mr McCabe, and he accepts that he over-stepped the mark.

"But it is also an incident which does not reflect well on those who went there."

McCabe, of Danby Court, Darlington, pleaded guilty to two counts of assaulting a police officer.

He was sentenced to a 12month supervision order, ordered to pay £85 costs and £100 compensation to each officer.