A 32-year-old man from Douglas has been jailed for 20 weeks after assaulting a police officer.
Carl Joseph Bridson, of Loch Promenade, pleaded guilty to the charge as well as being drunk and disorderly and was also banned from entering pubs for six months.
Prosecutor James Robinson told the court how, April 24 at 12.25am, police were called to Jaks pub on Loch Promenade after a report of a man refusing to leave the pub.
When officers arrived they found Bridson outside the pub with a friend. He was asked twice by police to move away but swore at them.
Bridson was told to calm down but continued swearing at police.
Officers said that he had glazed eyes and was clearly intoxicated. He was subsequently arrested but pulled away from police.
When other officers tried to intervene Bridson attempted to kick out. He was put in handcuffs and into the back of a police van.
While being put in the van Bridson’s resistance continued as he stiffened his body and continued shouting and swearing.
He kicked out hitting one officer in the chest area causing them to fall backwards but not fall over.
Bridson was eventually restrained using Pava spray.
In a final act of defiance he shouted ‘I want you to get CCTV from Jak’s. I’m not going to jail for something I haven’t done.’
Defending Bridson in court his advocate Roger Kane said: ‘At some stage of the evening Mr Bridson’s friends had gone for a cigarette and didn’t return.
‘He decided to go out to look for them. He was not aggressive. One officer arrived who knows him and there is no love lost between them.
‘He told him to “go away, stop staring, you don’t need to get involved”
‘He felt aggrieved, he didn’t feel he was acting disorderly. He was arrested and taken to the ground. He felt it was a heavy-handed approach.
‘Mr Bridson didn’t punch, headbutt, bite or spit, but he did struggle. And during the incident he did use some choice words.
‘But I would hope a police officer would have just brushed them aside.
‘As far as the assault goes this is at the lower end of the scale. It was a reckless kick out.
‘If it wasn’t for Mr Bridson’s history I wouldn’t be saying that the custody threshold was passed.’
Mr Kane read out a long list of previous convictions from Bridson’s record from 2001, 2002, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014 and 2015.
‘It’s a cycle that won’t be broken with another prison sentence,’ said the advocate.
Deputy High Bailiff Jayne Hughes said: ‘You have a problem with violence and you need to address that problem.
‘There is no evidence of remorse on your behalf.’