Suspended prison sentence for man who headbutted police officer in Ryton on Dunsmore

A man who head butted a police officer during an arrest has been given a suspended jail sentence.

31-year-old Aaron Statham of William Iliffe Street in Hinckley pleaded guilty to assaulting a police officer, failing to provide a specimen of saliva for a roadside drugs test and possession of cannabis.

The attack happened on High Street in Ryton on Dunsmore on July 14.

Officers stopped Statham’s car and asked him to provide a specimen of saliva.

He refused and as an officer tried to put Statham under arrest he was head butted.

Statham was given a six-month prison sentence suspended for a year, ordered to pay £385 in costs and compensation, and banned from driving for two years.

Chief Superintendent Ben Smith, head of local policing, said: “Fortunately the officer was not badly hurt in this incident but it demonstrates the danger police officers face.

"Assaulting emergency service workers in their duty is unacceptable and we will always look to bring offenders to justice.”