A DRUNK man accused of queue jumping at a Carlisle taxi rank and who admitted being annoyed with police officers told a court: “I don’t normally drink a lot.”

John Needham, 25, who recently moved to the area to have a fresh start after being released from prison, was sentenced at the city’s Rickergate court after he pleaded guilty to being drunk and disorderly.

Pam Ward, prosecuting, said it happened at near to Court Square, Carlisle, on Sunday, October 1 at the taxi rank. “Police were dealing with a first aid incident when their attention was drawn to a dispute between patrons waiting for taxis,” said the prosecutor.

“It involved Mr Needham, who appeared to be intoxicated.”

Needham seemed to be arguing with people after “pushing in” to the front of the queue, said Mrs Ward. He was “drunk and argumentative with the police officer” who went to the group to investigate.

The officer advised him to re-join the queue in the right place but immediately after this Needham was involved in “pushing and shoving” with an unknown male who moved away as police approached.

Representing himself in court, Needham, from How Mill, near Brampton, said his sister’s boyfriend had been assaulted and he had tried to calm things down. “I got a bit annoyed with the police because I’d been assaulted,” he said.

“But I do agree that I was drunk and out of order.”

Describing what happened as “a silly incident,” he said he now hoped to concentrate on training to become a barber. He was given a 12-month conditional discharge and told to pay £;85 costs and a £26 victim surcharge.