A man got drunk at a birthday party then carried his four-year-old nephew into the path of a police van and racially abused an officer. Daniel Jones from Cardiff downed seven pints of beer and an array of shots before launching into unprovoked abuse.
Declan McSorley, mitigating, said Jones drank more at his sister's 30th birthday party in Llanishen rugby club on October 7 last year than on any occasion in the previous five years. "The party was characterised by a constant flow of cheap shots in every meaning of word," the solicitor told Cardiff Magistrates' Court. "Sambuca and what I can only described as coloured drinks were being freely drunk, and he engaged in that."
Police had attended Ty-Glas Avenue following reports of youths smoking cannabis in the venue's car park. After dealing with the issue, the officers tried to leave — but Jones, 28, stepped in front of their van while holding his nephew. PC Zakari Hussain said: "He recklessly walked in front of the police van and I believe he knew I was trying to leave. A female was shouting and arguing with him."
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Officers warned Jones but he told them to "f*** off" with the child still in his arms. PC Hussain described Jones as having "blatant disregard for the child's safety". The offender continued to shout abuse and resisted as officers tried to arrest him. Eventually they managed to place handcuffs on Jones, but as they put him in the van he called PC Hussain a "p****" and vowed: "If you take these cuffs off I will f*** you up." He then called the officer the n-word.
Mr McSorley argued his client had been drunkenly "playing aeroplanes" with his nephew and had not known he was in the path of a police van. "His sister is the female the officers describe," the solicitor added. "She was trying to get Mr Jones to hand over his nephew and also calm him down so police didn't arrest him. She was displaying an infinitely greater level of common sense than he was."
The solicitor said Jones attempted to deliver an apology to police once sober. He has seven previous offences on his record but had not been before a court since 2014. He had changed his life by moving to a new area and "dissolving" a friendship group which was "anti-authoritarian and pro-drugs", Mr McSorley told the court, adding that his client now rarely drinks.
The court also heard Jones has severe ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) and anxiety but his mental health issues have improved since he removed himself from social media. He lives with his mother and is "in effect a carer" for his brother, who has an even more serious form of ADHD, said Mr McSorley.
Jones, of Whitworth Square in Whitchurch, admitted a racially aggravated disorder offence, resisting an officer, and drunk and disorderly behaviour. The court heard he receives £689 a month and pays his mum £200 of that for rent.
The hearing was adjourned to a later date and Jones was handed a 12-week jail term suspended for 12 months. He must pay a £154 victim services surcharge and £85.30 in prosecution costs. You can read more of the latest court news here.
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