A 45-YEAR-OLD man who felt ‘hatred’ towards the police after he was Tasered started making offensive phone calls.

Blackburn magistrates heard Richard Matthew Greenop said if he saw police officers unconscious in a car which had crashed into a wall and he could smell petrol, he would get out his phone and wait to video the flames.

In another call, he said he would enjoy watching a police officer being kicked to death.

Greenop, of Begonia View, Lower Darwen, pleaded guilty to sending an offensive communication by means of a public communications network.

He was sentenced to eight weeks in prison suspended for two years and ordered to pay £165 costs.

He was also made subject to a criminal anti-social behaviour order which prohibits him from contacting Lancashire Police unless to report a genuine crime or incident and from using the 999 number except in a genuine emergency for two years.

Passing sentence, the chairman of the magistrates said the calls had been distressing for people carrying out a public service and added: “Not only was it distressing, it was wasting their time and possibly blocking more serious calls that needed police attention.”

Jonathan Taylor, defending, said his client’s behaviour stemmed from a time when he was Tasered by the police when he thought he was trying to co-operate with them.

He said: “He says following that, police officers were spreading malicious rumours around the neighbourhood where he lives. He says they had no right to do that and they were making life extremely difficult for him. He tried to make formal complaints but they weren’t dealt with.”

He said the telephone conversations started without any problems and it was some time before they became ‘strange’.

Mr Taylor said: “He was full of hatred towards the police because of his treatment. With hindsight he accepts he shouldn’t have said what he said.”