A criminal headbutted a female police sergeant and clawed her male colleague’s face during an attack in Perth city centre, a court has heard.
Gavin Mann, 41, pled guilty to the assaults when he appeared from custody at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.
Procurator fiscal depute Alistair McDermid told the court two police sergeants approached Mann in the city’s St John Street at about 1.15pm on September 9 last year in connection with an unrelated matter.
The female officer tried to speak to him but he quickly became aggressive and shouted he did not want to speak to police. He was then arrested.
The fiscal continued: “As (female sergeant) took hold of the accused’s arm he (Mann) shouted, ‘don’t f***ing touch me’ and immediately lunged over, headbutting her to the face, striking the bridge of her nose.
“This caused her intense pain and temporary blurred vision”.
Both officers tried to restrain Mann but he struggled and lashed out, repeatedly punching the male sergeant to the head and body before being taken to the floor.
Mann managed to break one of his hands free and “started grabbing and clawing” at the male officer’s face, Mr McDermid said.
The court heard that the female sergeant then activated her emergency button before she and her colleague managed to handcuff him.
Perth assault injuries lead to absence from work for police officer
Arriving officers were directed to their colleagues by members of the public and noted some, including young children, appeared distressed by the events.
Mann was then put in the back of a police van.
The female sergeant attended hospital and was found to have a bloody nose with some swelling and some bruising to her face.
As a result of the struggle she also suffered ligament damage to her shoulder and stiffness to her neck.
She needed physiotherapy and was absent from work for a period.
The male officer received superficial scratches and grazes to his face, which did not require medical attention.
Mann pled guilty to assaulting the female police sergeant by lunging at her and headbutting her, all to her injury, and struggling with her.
He also admitted assaulting the male police sergeant by repeatedly punching him to the head and body and grabbing and clawing at his face to his injury.
Sheriff Susan Duff jailed Mann for 30 months, backdated to September 12 last year.
It means, with good behaviour, he could be liberated in about six weeks.
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