Man tasered after resisting arrest outside of former partner's home

A heating engineer had to be tasered by police when he harassed his on-off partner at her Sunderland home after boozing.

David Collier, 32, bombarded the woman with phone calls then kicked and punched the front door of her property in Appleby Road, Farringdon. 

His breakfast-time aggression forced her to lock herself and her toddler daughter in their bathroom on the instructions of police emergency call handlers.

When approached by officers outside, Collier, of Roseville Street, High Barnes, resisted arrest, forcing the firing of the high-voltage defensive weapon.

Magistrates heard his antics on Thursday, November 2, were out of character and caused by relationship problems and grief from the loss of his grandmother days earlier.

Prosecutor Claire Armstrong said: “They had been in a relationship for approximately 12 months, and had been separated for one month.

“By about 6.30am she had received 29 missed calls from the defendant. She turned her phone to flight mode.

“At 7.20am, she was in bed when she heard banging at the front door. She looked out and saw the defendant.

“She could hear him kicking and punching the door with such force it felt like the house was trembling.

“She called the police and was told to lock herself and her daughter in the bathroom. She then heard him in the back garden, demanding to be let in.

“The woman noticed that the front door was ajar with only the latch preventing it being opened.

“She thinks that the defendant still had a key to the house and had used that to try to let himself in.

“Officers arrived and saw the defendant. He was unsteady on his feet and smelled of intoxicating liquor.

“He was in the police vehicle when an officer attempted to put on handcuffs, but he became aggressive and resisted.

“He was removed so that he could be safely arrested but he continued to resist. He and one of the officers collided with the vehicle.

“The defendant grabbed the officer by the face and a colleague drew his Taser, which was discharged. He was arrested.”

Collier, who has two previous convictions, pleaded guilty to charges of harassment and resisting arrest.

Annalisa Moscardini, defending, told magistrates in South Tyneside Collier and the woman’s on-off relationship had created difficulties.

She added: “He has done the things that she alleges. He has rung her and banged on the door.

“His gran passed away on Monday, and there’s been a lot of things going on in the background.

“He’s made the decision to go for drinks the night before and that’s not been a good decision because it put him in a bad place.

“He has gone past her home on the way to work and has called her. There’s been some banging on the door to get her attention.”

Magistrates fined Collier £884, with £85 court costs and £100 compensation to the woman.

They imposed a 12-month restraining order, prohibiting him from contacting her or attending Appleby Road.