A drunken thug who marked his 21st birthday in Arbroath by dislocating a police officer’s jaw in an unprovoked attack has been jailed for nine months.
Tyre fitter James McMahon walked up to PC Dylan Edmonds and punched him with a single blow, which knocked his jaw out of alignment.
PC Edmonds – who was responding to a call from McMahon’s girlfriend seeking help – spent two weeks off work and on modified duties for three months.
Sheriff Paul Brown said: “I note everything that has been said on your behalf and the reference to other material and, in particular, your age.
“For all these reasons sentence will be lower than it would otherwise.
“Nonetheless, this was an unprovoked, vicious and cowardly attack on a police officer acting in the execution of his duties.
“He was responding to a call in regards to your welfare.”
He noted McMahon been placed on a community order for a previous assault which involved the use of a hammer in 2021.
Members of McMahon’s family wept as the sentence was announced.
Knife report
The 22-year-old, of Paton Drive, Larbert, admitted that on May 22 2022 at Seaton Estate Holiday Park, Arbroath, he assaulted and severely injured PC Dylan Edmonds by punching his head.
Dundee Sheriff Court was told McMahon and his partner had gone to the holiday park to celebrate his birthday and he had been drinking heavily.
At 1.43am, his girlfriend phoned police and asked for help because McMahon had a knife and she feared that he was self-harming.
Nine minutes later she called back and said he was asleep.
Several police units were despatched to the scene because a knife had been mentioned and the first two officers arrived at 1.57 am.
The couple were standing outside the caravan and as PC Edmonds approached, McMahon “punched him without warning.”
McMahon was wrestled to the ground, handcuffed and taken into custody and PC Edmonds was taken to Ninewells to treat his dislocated jaw.
‘Significant’ alcohol intake
McMahon’s solicitor told the court: “He was in this jurisdiction to celebrate his 21st birthday and the incident happened two days before it.
“He consumed a significant amount of alcohol and that resulted in him having a mental health episode.
“He has a significant degree of insight into what triggers difficulty for him.
“It was a short incident with a single blow.
“He and his family have taken it extremely seriously and he is in no way trivialising it.”
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