A drunk man threatened a police sergeant who had stopped to help a woman after she collapsed in Leicester city centre. Dale Porter had refused to move out of the way of the officer before

issuing the threats. The incident happened in the early hours of Saturday, April 26 outside the Highcross shopping centre when the sergeant and his colleague tended to the woman who had

collapsed on the floor. However, as they awaited an ambulance, 40-year-old Porter approached them and started talking to them, refusing to move away from the collapsed woman before shouting

at the officers. Prosecutor Gabrielle Orthodoxu told Leicester Magistrates' Court on Friday (May 23): "On April 26 at 12.10am the officers were flagged down outside the Highcross

He then began to shout at them. He was being very vocal and not listening to them. He said, 'I will give you a left hook' and 'I will put you to sleep'." Ms

Orthodoxu said Porter eventually left without being arrested but he then returned and continued causing problems. The two officers moved to arrest Porter and he fled. After a brief chase on

foot he was taken to the ground and put in handcuffs as he continued to make threats. She said that in his police interview Porter admitted he had been drinking since 2pm the day before. She

said Porter had 46 offences on his record, including five public order offences. Porter was also in court to be sentenced for a criminal damage matter from last year. In December he was

arrested and taken to Euston Street Police Station in Leicester where he kicked the door, spat on a window and threw coffee onto the floor of his cell. Faye Darlison, representing Porter, of

Fosse Road Central, Westcotes, Leicester, said of the incident in the city centre: "His recollection of what happened is quite poor. When he was pushed he felt he needed to protect

himself and this is when he came out with the words. "He has been bullied throughout his life and it was his instinct. He said he never would have carried out the [threatened] actions

and accepts the officers wouldn't have known that. After his arrest he didn't want to see the CCTV. He was embarrassed by his actions. He wants to apologise to the court. "He

knows the police were simply doing their job. He does have difficulties with alcohol and issues in terms of his mental health." Commenting on the police cell vandalism in December, Ms

Darlison added he was "upset he had been arrested" over the allegation. The court was not told what the allegation was. She said: "He can see now his actions were wrong."

She said Porter no longer went out in the city centre at night and was getting help for his alcohol issues. The chair of the bench, Gareth Roberts, told Porter: "Clearly you have an

issue with alcohol and we recognise you are addressing it. We hope you are moving in the right direction and we don't want to do anything to knock you off track." Porter, who had

pleaded guilty to criminal damage and using threatening behaviour, was fined £120 and ordered to pay £85 court costs and a £48 victim surcharge.