MICHAEL SCOTT BITES OFFICER IN NEWCASTLE COURTROOM BRAWL
In a shocking incident at Newcastle Crown Court, Michael Scott, a known sex offender, erupted into violence during his court appearance, leading to a chaotic and dangerous confrontation with court staff.Scott, aged 36, was present at the court after being accused of violating the terms of his sexual offences prevention order by operating a Facebook account.
This breach was particularly serious given his history; he had previously been jailed for six years in 2006 for sexual offences committed against children.
The court had explicitly prohibited him from maintaining any social media accounts as part of the court order aimed at safeguarding the public from potential harm.
Following a decision by Judge Guy Whitburn QC to sentence Scott to an additional six months in prison for this breach, Scott’s reaction was unexpectedly violent.
As he was being taken into custody, he suddenly became aggressive, attacking the dock officers present in the courtroom.
The altercation quickly escalated, with Scott biting one male officer on the head, causing the officer to require hospital treatment.
Two other officers sustained injuries as they attempted to restrain him when he refused to be handcuffed, despite being told multiple times to comply.
The situation necessitated the intervention of extra security personnel, who were called in to help subdue Scott.
Throughout the incident, Scott was supported in court by his 17-year-old girlfriend, who watched as the chaos unfolded.
The violent outburst was so severe that it resulted in additional charges and a subsequent hearing.
Following the incident, Judge Whitburn ordered Scott to be brought back into the courtroom, where he was sentenced to an additional nine months in prison for contempt of court.
The judge expressed his disapproval of Scott’s conduct, stating, “You were acting up while in the dock and one of your friends advised you in strong terms to calm down and take your sentence in a calm fashion.
You did not, you embarked on a violent struggle behind the door with a number of officers who had been called to subdue you.
It took six officers to take you down because you refused to be handcuffed.
All prisoners in custody have to be handcuffed and you were told this three times.
You bit an officer and scratched another officer.
This was a blatant contempt of court.” Scott’s criminal history includes a release from prison in 2008, after which he was subject to a sexual offences prevention order designed to restrict his online activity and contact with minors.
Despite these restrictions, he breached the order twice by contacting a 14-year-old girl via the internet and approaching his previous victims.
In October, police monitoring his activities visited him at a hostel in Newcastle’s West End.
During their check, they examined his mobile phone and discovered a Facebook profile under the alias “John Scott,” which Scott admitted was his account.
He was promptly arrested and pleaded guilty to breaching the court order.
His defense lawyer, Robert Adams, argued that the breach was minor, noting that the images Scott posted were mainly of his dogs.
Adams emphasized that Scott had been repeatedly warned about the restrictions but appeared unable to comply.
He also pointed out that Scott had not committed any sexual offence since 2005.
However, Judge Whitburn expressed serious concerns about Scott’s risk to children, stating, “I consider Scott a high risk to children and wish I could lock him up indefinitely.
If I had the power, in a case like this, one would be thinking of an indefinite sentence, but one does not have the power.” The judge acknowledged that while the breach was less severe than others, the danger Scott posed remained significant, underscoring the ongoing threat he represented to the community.
