Homeless Sunderland man pretended to be stabbed to try and get a bed for the night

A homeless Sunderland man tried to get his wish of a warm hospital bed for the night by telling police he had been stabbed, a court heard.

But when they failed to believe Phillip Anderson’s tall tale, he whacked a marked patrol car’s wing mirror in the hope of being arrested instead.

Anderson, 35, now living in Eastbourne Square, Carley Hill, bent it backwards but caused no permanent damage at 9pm on Thursday, September 14.

A moment earlier, he had threatened to “pounce” onto the vehicle’s bonnet during bizarre antics at the city’s Southwick police station.

His wayward behaviour led to his arrest and to his dream detention – a night in the cells until his release at lunchtime the next day.

Prosecutor Rebecca Gibson said: “The defendant has attended the police station, stating he’s been stabbed.

“He spoke to an officer who noticed that he had a small abrasion to his right hand which clearly wasn’t a serious injury.

“The officer wouldn’t take him to hospital but did offer to transport him to a location of his choosing. They were outside the police station.

“He said to the officer, ‘I’m going to pounce and jump on the bonnet’. The officer said to him to please not do that.

“The defendant walked around and with the open palm of his hand, hit the wing mirror of a police car, causing it to bend backwards.

“In interview he gave a full account and said he was homeless and didn’t want to cause his family any more distress.

“He said that he wanted to be arrested and remanded. It’s clearly something that was done on impulse.”

Anderson, who has 53 previous criminal convictions, pleaded guilty to causing criminal damage.

He committed the offence while awaiting sentence at court for a similar matter, it was said.

Northumbria Police, via the prosecutor, asked for £10 compensation from Anderson, a request rejected by magistrates.

Alastair Naismith, defending, said: “It amounts to a slap of a wing mirror. I assume the £10 is for the time it took the officer to bend it back in place.

“He’s now 17 days sober from alcohol and drugs, and he says he’s in a better place than he was when he did this.”

Magistrates sentenced Anderson to an 18-month conditional discharge, with a £26 victim surcharge but no court costs.