Wet and naked man attacks three police officers in one go during bizarre crime spree

A wet and naked man assaulted three officers who had turned up to arrest him after he stole an elderly man's mobile phone and threatened him with a machete.

Christopher Irish, 34, attacked the man as he made his way home with a friend in Manchester Road, Bradford at around 11.30pm on April 1. Prosecutor Paul Canfield told Bradford Crown Court on Thursday, November 21 that Irish demanded the man let him use his mobile phone, and when the victim asked why he should, he responded that otherwise he would kill him.

Mr Canfield said the man's friend ran away and "the defendant ran off but was seen by the man to retrieve a machete from behind a garden wall." The prosecutor said: "He ran back towards him and struck the victim to the right side of the head, causing some scratches. He caused the victim to fall to the floor where he kicked him in the back. The defendant then stole his mobile phone from his coat pocket before running off."

READ MORE: The 'seriously dangerous and depraved' drug dealer who repeatedly raped two teenage girls

READ MORE: Delivery driver sexually assaults woman in Huddersfield alley after arguing with wife

The court heard the man was helped up by two men and the police were called. Mr Canfield said officers attended around 20 minutes later and Irish "appeared in the street naked."

It was said officers then went around the corner into Tarnhill Mews and Irish was again discovered pacing in a garden. He was described as being "in a state of undress and wet."

Three PCs attended and attempted to calm him down but Irish "jumped into another garden and stood next to a Volkswagen car." Mr Canfield said: "He repeatedly was being abusive to officers and was behaving erratically. Later tests discovered he was at the time under the influence of cocaine."

Irish went on to refer to one PC as a "f****** white b****" and pushed her to the chest area. He then jumped another fence and ended up "grappling" with another officer who "tried to grab him but couldn't because he was naked and wet" and grabbed her by her hair and "yanked" it and pulled her head back.

He then targeted another PC, trying to hit him as he took him to an ambulance, but he failed to make contact. The court heard he had also smashed a car window during the incident.

Irish was arrested and interviewed on April 2, where he made various comments. He said he had approached the first victim because his mother was unwell and he needed to use his phone. He told officers the man had lied to him and he had chased him with a Samurai sword when the man fell to the ground. Mr Canfield said: "He said his phone fell out and he took it to teach him a lesson and he took it and put some credit on it.

Get all the latest and breaking West Yorkshire court news straight to your inbox by signing up to our newsletter here.

"In regards to the assaults on the officers he said it was to teach them a lesson. He said during the grappling he felt her elbow hit him so he wanted her to feel how he felt and admitted pushing the other PC. In terms of the other he remarked how he 'should have smacked him up more.'

"He admitted smashing the car window but said he would give them £5,000 to make up for it as it was his family's neighbour. About the racist comments, he said, 'Yes I said it because I'm racist.' He also said he smokes an ounce of cannabis a day but it was poor quality in Bradford which caused him to be erratic."

Irish - who has two previous convictions on his record for offences including possession of cannabis - went on to plead guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm, theft, possession of a bladed article, criminal damage and three counts of assaulting an emergency worker.

His sentencing hearing was adjourned and another hearing was scheduled for next Tuesday, November 26.