A Newcastle man received a conviction for impersonating a police officer while warning residents about rats.
He told a woman he was a plain clothes officer and warned her about a rat he saw on the road. He later banged on another door with no answer. The resident wasn’t home, but they caught Guttridge on their doorbell camera.
They alerted real police officers then, who arrested Guttridge. He said nothing, but he later admitted his actions. A prosecutor, Paul Coulson, spoke about the event which happened January 18, 2025. A woman was home with her partner around 2 PM when Guttridge knocked on the front door.
He told her, “I’m a plain clothes police officer,” and when she asked why he was there, he claimed a rat infestation was the reason. He added uniformed officers would visit. The woman saw him go to the next house, where he shouted “police” and banged on the door.
The resident contacted the real police about Guttridge, the caller was away but saw him on CCTV. He had walked by the property many times. Police found footage of Guttridge leaving in a black Hyundai, and they learned he had no insurance or license.
Guttridge lives in Ponteland now and has prior convictions, including being drunk. He admitted to impersonating an officer and also pleaded guilty to the driving charges. Magistrates fined him £200 instead of community service.
His lawyer, Kashif Khan, called it stupid, not evil, and claimed Guttridge saw a rat run across the road. Khan stated the case shows how people get in trouble. He said Guttridge tried to warn people about rats.
He went to the next house and shouted police, which was his only mischief, according to Khan. Guttridge didn’t take things further, but he knew he was deceiving them. He thought his driver’s license was valid and has now applied for a new license.