A man who stole heating oil from an unoccupied house and assaulted a police officer has been jailed for 20 weeks.

Dean Anthony Whitehead, aged 33, of Heather Crescent, Pulrose, this week pleaded guilty to the theft, assaulting the officer and resisting police officers in the execution of their duty.

The oil theft occurred on November 21 last year at an empty house on Annacur Lane, Douglas.

Police were alerted by a member of the public and officers found Whitehead and his associate, who did not appear before the court but has previously pleaded guilty, standing near the tank with several containers filled with oil.

While being interviewed, Whitehead denied touching the oil tank, which belonged to Douglas Council, and said that any oil on him was from when he was arrested by officers.

After being bailed, Whitehead was subject to bail conditions including a doorstep check curfew from 9pm. When officers visited his address on May 30 at 9.03pm they were told he was not in.

They travelled to an address he had been at earlier in the centre of Douglas but before they arrived, a 999 call was made and he was located on the roadside on Lord Street.

Prosecutor Hazel Carroon said that as he was being arrested, he began pushing and shoving officers.

Officers used Pava incapacitant spray but he continued swearing at officers.

After being put into the back of the police van, before the interior cell door was closed, Whitehead spat at the face of a police officer and he was subsequently charged with assault.

Defence advocate David Clegg said his client had accepted he would be sentenced to jail due to the charge of assaulting a police officer, but maintained that his client had not deliberately spat but had been clearing his mouth of Pava.

Mr Clegg said Whitehead ’couldn’t believe he had done such a thing’ and was ’horrified’ at what had happened.

He told the court that Whitehead said he didn’t believe they were stealing the oil as the occupant of the house was no longer living there. However, under the tenancy agreement Douglas Council now owned the oil.

Mr Clegg said that his client had been working with the Drug and Alcohol Team prior to lockdown and was due to go to a clinic in the UK to address his drinking and was looking to engage with DAT again after his prison sentence was complete.

Whitehead offered his apologies to the court and to the officers involved.

High Bailiff Jayne Hughes told him that it was ’horrific’ to spit at a police officer at any time, but especially during the Covid-19 pandemic.

She sentenced Whitehead to four weeks for the theft of the oil and 16 weeks for the assault and resisting arrest. He will serve 20 weeks in total.