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Leeds Live
Leeds Live
National
Sophie Corcoran

Leeds man who attacked police with cat litter tray skipped court 'due to cold sore'

A man who threw cat litter boxes at police said he couldn't attend court because he had a cold sore.

Callan Oke, 29, barricaded himself into room at his home in July 2021, after officers had been called for an unrelated matter which was not taken further.

However, Oke, of Nepshaw Lane in Morley, Leeds, was sentenced on Monday for two counts of assaulting an emergency worker after he attacked two officers who were charged with the task of getting into his home.

Read more: Leeds' most dangerous streets mapped with the highest level of violent crime

During the short hearing at Leeds Crown Court, His Honour Judge Clark said: "The police were called to your address about a matter not proceeded with but you didn't respond but was present and didn't allow officers to come in.

"The officers called to get into the property were trained to do that. They made repeated requests for you to open the door and you didn't so they forced it. As they entered, you were at the top of the stairs and was seen to kick your leg and used cat litter trays and they [the officers] were struck. They were disgusted and couldn't have been hurt more seriously."

The court heard Oke went on to barricade himself upstairs but after some time left and was arrested. He made no comment in interview and it was heard he failed to surrender.

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When he was arrested on April 21, the court heard he said he "didn't attend trial because he felt mentally unable to deal with the case because he had a cold sore."

The judge said: "You sought to blame the officers for what had occurred. You expressed the view and said in the [pre-sentence] report that your behaviour was part of [the officer's] job description."

Oke was jailed for 16 weeks.

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