Man punched police officer and left him with bloodied nose

Steven Smith, 37, of Hall Lane, West Winch, near King's Lynn, pleaded guilty to assaulting a police constable when he appeared in Lynn magistrates' court on Thursday morning.

Fergus Harold, prosecuting, said Smith got into a fight with another man outside a taxi office in Norfolk Street in Lynn at 4.30am on Sunday, February 4.

Two police officers, including Pc Mark Savage, attempted to break up the fight, with Pc Savage detaining Smith in a head lock.

Smith then threw out a punch intending to hit the man but the punch landed on Pc Savage's face. The police officer subsequently had to attend hospital with a bloodied nose.

In police interview, Smith admitted to hitting the police officer but that he did it by mistake.

Charlotte Winchester, mitigating for Smith, said he had been shoved against the glass of the taxi office which led to a scuffle.

'He had problems with this group and that's how it came about,' Ms Winchester added. 'The police moved very quickly and he hit out in seconds. 'He had no intention of hitting the police officer but did so very much on a reckless basis.'

But Deputy District Judge Moffatt disagreed, stating: 'It was intentional, in hitting out at the other person that intention transfers to the officer. He intended to hit somebody.'

Ms Moffatt said she had to consider the defendant's previous convictions, which includes a community order by way of curfew last year for battery, which Smith has completed.

'This is another fight, he has been fighting again and this was a deliberate punch,' she added.

'He's clearly got an issue with his temper. 'He got a community order for a violent offence - the punishment for the last offence didn't take effect.'

Ms Moffatt requested a pre-sentence report to consider all options and adjourned sentencing for Friday, April 27.

Before releasing Smith on unconditional bail, Ms Moffatt told the defendant: 'It seems that the curfew didn't have an impact last time.'