A violent vandal who smashed a police station door has been handed a fine for criminal damage.
On Sunday afternoon, 36-year-old Paul Cockburn approached the front of Etal Lane Police Station in Newcastle and smashed the glass front doors of the building.
He then fled the scene and police launched an investigation to quickly identify and find him.
But minutes later they received a call from Mr Cockburn who said he had carried out the damage. He then challenged police to “come and get is”.
Officers obliged and they later went to a home where Corburn was arrested and taken in to custody.
He was charged with criminal damage and was slapped with a £250 fine at North Tyneside Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.
Inspector Gary Richardson, of Northumbria Police, said: “Cockburn had been involved in an argument at home and inexplicably decided to take out his anger on our station.
“He armed himself with a broken cricket wicket and decided to try and smash the front door of Etal Lane.
“It’s not the brightest idea in the world and we were well on our way to identifying him before he decided to call us and challenge us to arrest him.
“We obliged and within minutes he was in a custody cell and remanded to appear in court the next day.
“His prize for his act of stupidity and brazen arrogance is a hefty fine and a criminal conviction to his name.”
