A FRIENDLY conversation with two police officers ended suddenly when David Stones ran off and challenged a group of men to fight.

Blackburn magistrates heard the situation got worse when Stones turned on the officers.

He told one: "Wait until you are out of uniform," and said to the other: "You are dead as well."

During the violent struggle that preceded his arrest Stones spat repeatedly at the officers who had to sit on him to restrain him until assistance arrived.

Stones, 20, of Cemetery Road, Darwen, pleaded guilty to using threatening behaviour and was remanded on bail until June 4 for the preparation of pre sentence reports.

David Macro, prosecuting, said the incident started when PCs Fish and Smith were flagged down by Stones as they drove along Bolton Road, Darwen.

Stones was clearly under the influence of alcohol but initially leaned through the patrol car window and said: "Oh, it is PC Fish, are you all right my old mate?" "The officers had a friendly conversation with him but all of a sudden his attitude changed," said Mr Macro.

"He said he was going to do someone when they came out of the pub and then ran over to a group of five or six men who had just come out of the Bowling Green." Stones challenged the group and then pushed one of them before swinging a punch which missed. Both officers approached him and at this stage Stones started shouting abuse at them. He ran off but was chased and arrested after a violent struggle.

Bashrat Ditta, defending, said Stones accepted that the events related by the prosecution had occurred while he was in a drunken stupor.

"It was a case of a young man who had too much to drink and was acting out of bravado," said Mr Ditta.

He said Stones had been drinking with the other men in the pub when an argument developed and he was asked to leave. "He felt aggrieved because he was the only one who was ejected from the pub," said Mr Ditta.

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