A policeman was grabbed around the neck and choked until he almost lost consciousness as he dealt with a disturbance involving a stag-do, a court has heard.
The policeman had to bite his attacker on the arm to get him to release his grip
Swansea Magistrates Court was told that the constable was grabbed around the neck from behind — and had to bite his assailant on the arm to get him to release his grip.
The PC was one of a number of officers on duty on Swansea’s Wind Street who dealt with the disturbance at the bar PopWorld.
The officer was subsequently taken to Morriston A&E and had to take a week off work — the first sick leave he had taken in more than 12 years service.
Guilty plea
Gary Mitchell, aged 47, of Kenton, Devon, pleaded guilty to assaulting a constable on July 15 when he appeared before justices.
The court heard Mitchell had driven members of a stag-do — which included his sons — from Devon to Swansea for the night.
The group ended up in PopWorld but after an incident where a glass was smashed — and one of the group put a safety cone on his head — the stag-do was ejected from the premises.
The court heard Mitchell felt his son was being manhandled by doorstaff and got involved — a “melee” ensued in the foyer of the club, and when police intervened Mitchell grabbed one of the officers by the neck and began squeezing.
The court heard his colleagues then came to his aid, with several officers taking Mitchell to the ground.
'An ever-lasting effect'
In his victim impact statement the constable said the incident had had “an ever-lasting effect” on him and his family.
Mike Spring, for Mitchell, said his client had consumed “quite a lot of alcohol in a short period of time”, and when he saw one of his sons being “forcefully thrown out” of the premises he misinterpreted the situation and thought his son was being assaulted and became involved.
The solicitor told the court the dad-of-three had himself been gripped by the neck by one of the doorstaff but accepted he shouldn’t have put his hands on the police officer, and wished to apologise to him.
The court heard Mitchell has no previous convictions, and a personal reference read to the court from a former Devon and Cornwall Police officer and friend of the defendant described him as an “honest, hard-working and conscientious” man.
'Natural instincts as a dad kicked in'
Polly Smith, from the probation service, said Mitchell had drunk eight pints of beer after arriving in Swansea and was “playing catching up” with the other members of the stag-do.
She said Mitchell had told her he felt the PopWorld door staff were “rather heavy handed” with his son and that his “natural instincts” as a father kicked in.
Mitchell was sentenced to 12 weeks in prison suspended for 12 months, and was ordered to pay the police officer he attacked £1,000 compensation.
see-http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/stag-reveller-choked-policeman-until-11706913
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