Christopher Anthony Howard took offence when he saw the officer issuing a ticket on someone else’s car and started the altercation out of ‘public spiritedness’, the Royal Court heard on Friday.
The 29-year-old, who also spat on a police officer while in custody, was jailed for seven months after Jurats heard that Howard committed the offences three months after being given ‘one last chance’ by the Royal Court.
Last April, Howard, who has 36 previous convictions, was given probation and community service for charges of larceny and malicious damage.
The court heard that Howard confronted the community support officer while drunk at round 11 pm on Friday 24 July as he did not believe that people should be issued with parking fines late at night, the court heard.
Crown Advocate Conrad Yates said that Howard, who has ‘negative attitudes towards authority’, began mocking the community support officer, calling him a ‘pig’ and a ‘pirate’ after noticing the man issuing a fine on a car in Lewis Street.
Concerned for his safety, the officer called the police, which enraged Howard further and resulted in him shouting further abuse. Feeling threatened, the man pushed Howard away and when he went to push him a second time, Howard punched him in the jaw.
A scuffle broke out between the pair and two witnesses pulled Howard away until police arrived. The court heard that at first Howard was co-operative with officers, admitting he was under the influence of alcohol and saying that he had taken exception to the actions of the community support officer, who he referred to as a ‘parking pirate’.
However, his attitude quickly changed when they arrested him and he went on to call them ‘government pimps’. While in custody Howard spat on the officer who had been placed outside his cell due to concerns for his welfare.
Advocate Alexander English, defending, said that his client started the altercation out of ‘public spiritedness’ as he did not believe that people should be issued with parking fines late at night. However, the advocate added that Howard now accepted he should have walked away and had expressed remorse and regret at his behaviour.
Advocate English said that the assaults were committed as ‘moments of madness’ and that since the offences Howard, who pleaded guilty to two counts of assault, had kept out of trouble and carried out the 180 hours of community service that he was sentenced to last April.
Commissioner Julian Clyde-Smith said: ‘The fact of the matter is in April 2015 the court gave the defendant a last chance. We want to make it clear that when a court does that it means what it says.
‘It is deeply disappointing to this court that the defendant did not take the chance given by him by this court which went out on a limb to assist him.’
Jurats Collette Crill and Jeremy Ramsden were sitting.
Following the sentence, Constable Simon Crowcroft said: ‘Public servants have the right to do their job without being abused.’
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