A road rage thug, who left an off-duty policeman with multiple fractures after viciously attacking the officer following a minor road smash, was yesterday jailed.
Peter Smith assaulted Michael Wynn following a shunt on Dundee’s West Marketgait, in front of the Police Scotland Tayside Division HQ, on August 14.
Smith later claimed he had attacked because PC Wynn had “smirked” at him after the officer unintentionally ran into the back of the motor being driven by Smith’s pregnant girlfriend — then said he “looked like a junkie”.
Smith flipped after PC Wynn followed Smith’s partner Holly Matthew through a traffic light and into a contraflow before running in to the back of her as she came into traffic.
Smith was a passenger in the motor and got out to assess the damage alongside PC Wynn. PC Wynn asked if everyone in the car was OK — only for Smith to react “aggressively”.
Miss Matthew then got out and told him to calm down — but that prompted Smith to swing a “powerful” punch into the side of PC Wynn’s face.
Fiscal depute John Adams told Dundee Sheriff Court that witnesses were left “shocked” by the attack.
He said: “The complainer was taken for x-rays and it was found he had a fractured cheekbone, fractured lower eye socket, and multiple fractures to his jaw on the left side of his face.”
Smith, 31, a prisoner at Perth, pleaded guilty on indictment to a charge of assault to severe injury.
Sheriff George Way jailed Smith for 17 months.
He said: “The accused has previous convictions for using weapons, five for violence. This type of serious assault will not be tolerated.
“The message must go out that if you behave like this the courts will treat it as a matter of public protection.”
https://www.eveningtelegraph.co.uk/fp/thug-battered-officer-minor-crash-outside-dundee-police-hq/
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