Daniel Clark in court for drunk and disorderly behaviour on London Road in King’s Lynn

A man appeared in court after verbally abusing police following a fight on a main road through town.

Daniel Clark, 37, of Littleport Street in Lynn, appeared at the town’s magistrates’ court on Thursday charged with being drunk and disorderly in a public place.

He pleaded guilty to the offence, which he committed on July 17.

Crown prosecutor Colette Harper told magistrates that at around 6pm on that date, police were called to London Road due to a fight taking place close to the entrance to The Walks.

Clark was one of those involved, and officers attempted to talk to him – but he proceeded to describe them as “f*cking scumbags”.

Ms Harper said he was shouting “at the top of his voice” while members of the public were in the vicinity, although he was also slurring his words.

Clark was arrested and placed in handcuffs, but he tried to fight back against officers and was taken to the ground. He continued to display “threatening and abusive behaviour” on his way to custody.

He had committed 116 previous offences, and was in the midst of a community order at the time of his most recent crime.

Appearing in court unrepresented, Clark said: “It didn’t happen like that at all.

“My best friend jumped in the middle of the road. All I said to him was ‘can I have my f*cking money back’ – that is all I said.

“I was not drunk.”

Magistrates, led by Alan Hayes, fined him £50 for the offence. They also ordered him to pay £50 in legal costs and a £20 victim surcharge.

They ruled out handing him a conditional discharge because they deemed it would be “simply not appropriate” given Clark’s previous criminal record.