A troublemaker who assaulted police and other people, turned aggressive during a series of disturbances, exposed himself outside a man’s house and regularly used cannabis has been jailed after ignoring chances to avoid prison. Philip Ebert often became violent during drug-fuelled confrontations and he had earlier tried to set fire to a pub during a “revenge attack” after being barred, Hull Crown Court heard.
Ebert, 32, of Cardigan Road, Bridlington, but recently in custody on remand, admitted a series of offences, including assaulting police officers as emergency workers, assault, threatening behaviour, exposure and possessing cannabis. He was convicted after a trial of another offence of assaulting a police officer as an emergency worker.
Poppy Walker, prosecuting, said that, on November 9, 2024, Ebert was slurring his words before becoming irate, shouting and swearing during a disturbance in Bridlington. Police were called to his aggressive behaviour and they attempted to put him in handcuffs.
Ebert swore and an officer struggled to get hold of his arm. Ebert bit the policeman’s hand but, with the help other officers, Ebert was put in handcuffs and leg straps.
On December 8, 2024, Ebert punched a man in the face during another disturbance in Bridlington, causing his glasses to fall off and break. He headbutted the man on the chin.
On June 12 last year, Ebert was outside McDonald’s in Bessingby Way, Bridlington, when he became aggressive to members of the public. The police were called. “The defendant continued to shout threats to members of the public,” said Miss Walker.
Police spoke to him but Ebert became abusive and flicked a lit cigarette into an officer’s face, making contact. He continued to be aggressive and resisted arrest. He was found to have herbal cannabis.
On July 23 last year, he kicked a woman at premises in Hull after being asked to hand over tobacco. He became confrontational, kicked out and waved his arms around, intentionally aiming for other people.
On November 26 last year, Ebert was taken to Clough Road police station, Hull, and he was found with tinfoil and green herbal cannabis. On June 4 this year, Ebert exposed himself outside a man’s house in Bridlington and used sexual behaviour, with his pants down at his knees.
The police were called and Ebert was found with his trousers around his thighs. He was arrested and searched and he was found with herbal cannabis.
Ebert had convictions for nine previous offences, including assault and assaulting an emergency worker. He was in breach of a 16-month suspended suspended sentence imposed in February last year for attempted arson.
Connor Stuart, mitigating, said that Ebert was aware that the new offences put him in breach of the suspended sentence. “It all makes for deeply unpleasant reading,” said Mr Stuart.
“There has been some improvement.” Substances were not available to Ebert while he had been in custody on remand. “He has been in isolation in custody, alone with his thoughts,” said Mr Stuart.
Judge Alexander Menary told Ebert: “These offences are so serious and numerous that they can only be dealt with by way of sentences of imprisonment.” Ebert was jailed for 16 months.
At the previous hearing in February last year, the court was told that the attempted arson happened when Ebert hurled a lighted “Molotov cocktail” bottle through a window in a mean-minded “revenge attack” after he was refused entry to a bar but returned there several hours later. He tried to use an ignited bottle of vodka as a way of starting a fire but his scheme backfired badly and no flames actually took hold.
He admitted an offence of attempted arson on September 28, 2024. Ebert had been refused entry to Balanco’s Bar and Grill in Bridlington at about 7.20pm after causing earlier problems by being abusive.
A member of staff noticed the next morning while going into the premises that a window had been smashed. A bottle of vodka was found with a rag that had been stuffed into the neck of it.
The rag looked to be charred from being lit. The alcohol in the vodka was intended to be used to start a fire.
CCTV pictures were examined and they showed Ebert throwing the bottle through the window at about 1am. Ebert was recognised by a woman at the bar because he had been banned from the premises and others. He had been seen going into a nearby Tesco store to buy the bottle before lighting it and throwing it through the window at the bar.
Ebert had, at that hearing, been given was given a 16-month suspended prison sentence and 30 days’ rehabilitation. He was given an indefinite restraining order.
Did you know you can make Hull Live a preferred source of Hull news in Google, which will mean you get more of our breaking news, exclusives, and must-read stories straight away? Here’s more information about what this means and how to do it – you can also do it straight away by clicking here.