A 40-YEAR-OLD man assaulted three police officers and a paramedic after being arrested for trying to force his way into his ex-partner's Tetbury home, a court head today.
Officers used CS gas and an ASP baton on David Tucker to try to control him during the first of two violent incidents that night but they had no effect on him, Gloucester crown court was told.
Tucker, of no fixed address, was jailed for 18 months after he admitted common assaults on police constables Simon Laird and Clare Turner-Koprowski and Sgt Penny Williams and assaulting paramedic Neil Hodgson causing actual bodily harm.
All the assaults happened on the night of 28th March, the court heard.
Tucker was before the court for a plea and directions hearing but asked Judge William Hart if he could be sentenced straightaway 'in the interests of saving the taxpayer money.'
"I am of perfectly sound mind," said Tucker, who was not legally represented.
Judge Hart said he would be prepared to sentence immediately, but not for money saving reasons.
"Brilliant," said Tucker.
Paul Grumbar, prosecuting, said the night's events began with Tucker going to his ex-partner's home in Cirencester road, Tetbury, shortly before midnight on March 27.
She could see him outside the door and he asked to be allowed in but she refused.
"He then became abusive and and threatened to kick the door down so she activated the panic alarm with which she had been provided after an earlier incident in December when he forced his way in and stole some items," Mr Grumbar said.
"He continued being abusive after she sounded the alarm but then left.
Pcs Laird and Parker found him in a nearby Portakabin on an industrial estate. They asked him to come out but he refused.
"They could see he was taking tablets and had put on some gloves. Fearing that he could harm himself they smashed the window to effect an early arrest.
"He was told to stand still but he punched Pc Laird with a clenched fist. Pc Parker deployed his CS gas into the defendant's face but it seemed to have no effect.
"Pc Laird rapped his ASP and warned him to get down. He still advanced. The officer struck him on the arm with the baton but it had no effect and he was then struck on the left leg."
Mr Grumbar said officers were then able to arrest and handcuff Tucker, who was taken to Stroud police station. At about 11.30pm he was seen by a doctor and prescribed some medication but he later refused to take it and demanded an alternative to help with his withdrawal symptoms.
Paramedic Hodgson attended but could find no signs of withdrawal symptoms and refused any further medication, Mr Grumbar said.
"Tucker punched the paramedic in the side of the face without any warning. The force of the blow caused him to bang his head against a wall. He was then punched twice more, causing soreness to his ribs.
"Pc Turner-Koprowski told him to stop but he punched her in the face, causing her pain and distress. Sgt Williams, as a result of the noise, came out of her office and he punched her to the side of the face, knocking her back and causing her pain and shock. He then spat in hers and the paramedic's faces."
Tucker told the court that in 2005 he had been sentenced to 7yrs imprisonment and spent 3 years in solitary confinement. During that time he was prescribed anti depressants upon which he became dependent, he said.
Fifteen months ago, he said, he won an appeal against his conviction and received 'a rather large out of court settlement.'
He used that money to set up home in Tetbury with Janet Morse but then they split up and he did not receive half of their property as he should have done, he said "That's where all this trouble started," he went on. "I wanted my electrical goods out of the house but she was fighting it. I didn't realise I could go to the civil court about it."
He said when he opened the door of the portakabin to the police one was holding up what looked like a metal bar and the other appeared to have a handgun so he 'went into defence mode and struck out.'
At the police station, he said, he 'lost the plot' because he was without his medication and assaulted the officers and paramedic.
He had attempted suicide after the incident because he felt guilty about assaulting women, he added.
Jailing Tucker, Judge Hart said the assault on the paramedic had been 'particularly nasty.'
"He was very good to help you and you rewarded him by punching him hard enough to hit his head against a wall and break his tooth."
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