Want the top news headlines sent to your inbox daily? Sign up to our FREE newsletter below Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Angry Sidney Callaghan was not happy at the police's response to his report his phone was missing - so he used a force complaints form to threaten to murder officers.

The 64-year-old contacted Northumbria Police after lending his mobile to a friend, who failed to return it.

Upset at the lack of urgency with which he perceived the case was being dealt with, he turned up at Forth Banks police station in a rage.

He was abusive to counter staff and, on a complaints form, threatened to smash up all the police cars in the yard.

The following day he turned up and wrote on an official complaint form: "I want to kill a policeman. If I do do a murder suicide it will be a policeman."

When spoken to by an inspector, he said: "I will kill a police officer tonight, they are all vermin."

He was taken to a cell in the police station, where he staged a dirty protest, smearing excrement over the room and on a code of conduct document.

Callaghan, of Audley Road, Gosforth, Newcastle, claimed he just wanted his phone back to call his wife in Ghana and his son in Germany, Newcastle Crown Court heard.

He was already on bail for pouring alcohol over a bar manager who asked him to leave, before punching and biting him.

Now he has been jailed for 18 months at Newcastle Crown Court.

Emma Dowling, prosecuting, said the dispute with the police arose in September after he reported the missing phone.

(Image: Newcastle Chronicle)

She told the court: "He became abusive and aggressive towards staff and asked for a complaints form to fill in.

"On that form he made a comment he would damage all the police cars in the yard and as he filled the form in he was indicating to the inquiry desk assistant he was going to damage the cars."

He said: "Me personally, I'm going to go in the vehicle yard when the police station shuts and incapacitate every single vehicle by smashing them up and popping tyres."

The following day at the police station, he wrote on a complaints form: "I want to kill a policeman, if I do a murder suicide it will be a policeman."

He was taken to the cells and told Insp Hetherington, in relation to the woman he thought had his phone, that he was going to "smash both her feet with a hammer".

Callaghan then told the officer: "I will kill a police officer tonight, they are all vermin, and I will smash up all the police vehicles."

(Image: Newcastle Chronicle)

Judge Edward Bindloss commented about the complaints form threats: "This was quite extensive, it was in writing and to police officers.

"These are emergency workers going about their business and deserve to be protected.

"Having said that they are police officers, they should be robust enough to cope with unpleasant matters."

Callaghan pleaded guilty to threatening to kill police officers, threatening to destroy property and criminal damage to his cell.

Jailing him, Judge Bindloss said he had become "fixated" and felt the police should have treated the missing phone as a theft and thought they weren't giving it the "energy and vigour" they should have done.

The judge said the police had not appreciated how important the phone was to "isolated" Callaghan.

But he told him: "However, having said that, the way you set about this was totally unacceptable.

"You threatened to smash up police vehicles and you wrote to the police on a complaints form threatening you were going to kill police officers and you went to the police station and threatened to kill police officers to the inspector."

Callaghan also admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm in relation to the attack on the pub manager.

He was at The Junction pub, at the Haymarket, Newcastle, on March 18, when he was asked to leave around 3pm due to his state of intoxication.

Callaghan poured half a pint over the manager's head, punched him in the face and bit his finger as he was escorted out. The bite broke the skin and the victim had to go to hospital and undergo tests for hepatitis.

Jonathan Pigford, defending, said Callaghan has issues with his mental health and can become fixated and belligerent.

He added: "He is an isolated individual.

"He has an important relationship with a lady in Ghana so the loss of the phone led to further isolation and he has contact with his son in Germany."

Judge Bindloss said the phone was his "lifeline" to contacting his girlfriend and son abroad.