A violent lout has avoided jail after he caused an off-duty police officer to break his finger by punching and hitting him with cans of lager while he stood on a wall.
Jonathon White took exception when the victim confronted his friend about him urinating in front of Monkseaton Metro Station, and White then lashed out. A court heard that the 22-year-old first climbed on top of some wheelie bins and started behaving aggressively, prompting the officer to stand on top of a 3ft wall.
White then began striking the constable with cans of Stella before punching him, which caused him to lose his balance and fall. Prosecutors said that the impact of the fall caused the victim's finger to break.
