Man jailed for trying to throw policeman off bridge over the A1
A cocaine addict has been jailed after trying to throw a policeman off a bridge in Newcastle
Michael Walker, 28, attempted to hurl police officer Richard Wilkinson from a footbridge over the A1 in November last year.
It was after police were called to an incident in East Denton where Walker had punched a female neighbour in the face.
Pc Wilkinson and Walker ended up on a near-by footbridge after a chase.
Walker, who was high on drink and drugs at the time, tried to tip them both over the railings onto the embankment below.
The officer managed to force Walker back onto the ground and radioed for assistance, but then as he tried to handcuff Walker, the suspect grabbed and squeezed his windpipe.
During the struggle the handcuffs were lost, but Pc Wilkinson managed to call again for back up and three more officers arrived to help, eventually carrying Walker off the bridge but only after he had kicked Pc Stacey Elhala.
When he sobered up at the police station, Walker said he had no recollection of attacking his neighbour or the incident on the bridge.
He had banged on the 51-year-old's door in the middle of the night demanding toast and punched her in the face when she slapped him in her attempt to get him to leave.
Walker, from Cornhill, West Denton, was jailed for five years after pleading guilty to attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent.
A charge of attempted murder was dropped at a previous hearing.