Hartlepool thug jailed after attacking three police officers and detention officer

Nathan Philip Watson has been locked up for nearly a year after magistrates heard that his offending spree was committed while he was serving a community sentence following an earlier conviction for racially aggravated harassment.

Watson, 30, of King Oswy Drive, Hartlepool, admitted five charges when he appeared at Middlesbrough’s Teesside Magistrates’ Court.

He pleaded guilty to separate counts of assaulting a male and female police officer in Hartlepool on October 7.

Watson also admitted attacking a second male officer and a male detention officer in Middlesbrough the following day.

In addition, he pleaded guilty to a charge of criminal damage after causing an unknown amount of damage to a Middlesbrough police cell on October 8.

Watson, whose guilty pleas were taken into account when his sentence was calculated, was jailed for five months for the two Hartlepool attacks and another five months for the Middlesbrough assaults.

He also received an extra month in custody after he was re-sentenced for being in breach of a conditional discharge imposed in May after he was convicted of committing racially aggravated harassment in Hartlepool in 2020.

Assistant Chief Constable Lisa Theaker, of Cleveland Police, said after the sentence: “I welcome this result and it demonstrates that Cleveland Police will not tolerate verbal threats or physical assaults against any officer or staff member who is simply going about their duties.

"We will do all we can to bring perpetrators before the courts.”

Watson was also ordered to pay his victims £50 compensation each.

Support your Mail and become a subscriber today. Enjoy unlimited access to local news, the latest football stories and new puzzles every day.

With a digital subscription, you can see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Click here to subscribe.