A roofer who assaulted four police officers as he was taken into custody has been handed a suspended sentence.

Magistrates in Lynn on Thursday heard of kicks and spitting at officers as they grappled with 30-year-old Aaron Bussey in the town on February 27.

He was on a cocktail of drink and drugs, initially barging into a security guard standing outside a taxi office.

Prosecutor Jodin Gherra said Bussey ran off as police were speaking to him and brought down an officer as he was caught.

She said Bussey was kicking out and caught one officer on the head and spat in another’s face.

Further kicks landed and a sergeant was assaulted as Bussey was later unloaded from a police van.

A small amount of cannabis was found on him.

“When questioned, the defendant said he couldn’t remember much of that night,” said Miss Gherra. “He been kicked out by his girlfriend and woke up in custody and was very confused.”

Bussey, of Wisbech Road, South Lynn, pleaded guilty to four counts of assaulting an emergency worker, assault with intent to resist arrest, assault of the security guard and possession of a class B drug.

Mitigating, solicitor George Sorrell said his client had apologised to police after sobering up.

“He was ashamed of his behaviour and expressed his surprise at acting like that. He tells me he was distressed by the argument with his girlfriend, who told him to get out.

“He sought some comfort from a so-called friend who provided him with some Valium, cocaine and cannabis which he consumed together with alcohol.”

There were “so many assaults, some serious”, added Mr Sorrell and his client must be condemned for those, particularly when they were on people doing their job.

“He’s built in a way whereby he could cause some serious harm to people. He’s young and quite well-built,” said the solicitor.

Bussey was given 26 weeks’ custody, suspended for 18 months.

He was ordered to pay £100 compensation to each of the four police officers, fined £266 for the drug offence and told to pay £128 victim surcharge.