A TEENAGER'S ambition to become a solicitor could be in jeopardy after he was found guilty of assaulting a former policeman who caught him urinating in the street.

The 16-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, then assaulted an active police officer who came to arrest him at Mowden, Darlington.

At Darlington Youth Court on Friday, the teenager, from the town's West End, appeared for sentencing after being found guilty at the end of a three-day trial.

David Maddison, prosecuting, said the defendant had been drinking alcohol prior to the incident.

He said: "Colin Gibson came across the defendant urinating in the street close to Mowden shops. There then followed a confrontation between the pair, and Mr Gibson was subjected to an assault."

Mr Gibson reported being punched and kicked, and said he had suffered a bloodied nose, swelling, bruising and tenderness to the nose and eye.

The assault was reported to police who arrived at the scene to arrest the youth.

Mr Maddison said: "He initially complied, then began to struggle against the arrest. He is then described as punching the officer to the chin."

The defendant was taken to the ground, sprayed with an incapacitant, restrained and arrested.

Ben Pegman, mitigating, said: "He is an extremely polite young man with everything going for him. It is an absolute shame that he is before the court. This was an aberration borne of experimenting with drinking.

"He has expressed the desire to be a solicitor in the fullness of time. I don't know how this will affect him with regard to that."

He was sentenced to six months of supervision, 18 hours of unpaid work and a two-day alcohol awareness programme.

His family must contribute £500 towards the costs of the trial.