A CHARD man who carried out an unprovoked attack on a police officer, striking him in the face and leaving him with an injured jaw, had to be threatened with a taser to calm down.

The police were called to speak to David Pugh after reports of a domestic incident, and while one of the officer’s was preparing to speak to him the defendant walked towards him and then struck him with his elbow to the face.

The victim suffered a cartilage displacement in his jaw as a result and later made a statement saying it was a “cowardly and unprovoked attack.”

Pugh, 47, of Mintons, pleaded guilty to assaulting a police constable acting in the execution of his duty at Chard on October 28 when he appeared before District Judge David Taylor, sitting at Yeovil.

The court heard that two officers went to an address in Holyrood Street at 9am following calls about a domestic matter and spoke to Pugh who appeared to be agitated, frustrated and confrontational.

Prosecutor Emma Lenanton said: “One of the officers got his pocket notebook out when Pugh went towards him in a slow and calm manner and put his back to him.

“He then struck the officer hard to the face with his elbow, knocking him backwards and they began struggling until another officer approached with a taser and Pugh responded to requests to calm down.”

The victim was treated in hospital for minor concussion and an injury to his jaw and had to be placed on restricted duties for several days after he suffered cartilage displacement.

When the defendant was later interviewed he said he was sorry for his actions and wanted to apologise to the officer for his behaviour.

The victim made a statement which was read to the court saying that he had been acting in a calm and professional manner shortly before the assault which had been cowardly and unprovoked.

“I was in the process of explaining everything to him when I was assaulted and I wad shocked that he could assault me in this way,” he said.

Defending solicitor Nicola Smailes said that Pugh had a history of mental health problems over a number of years.

District Judge Taylor told Pugh that what he did to the police officer caused significant harm to hm.

“You struck him with your elbow without warning and it was a deliberate blow, but I am not sure if you were aiming it at his face or not,” he said.

“You have previously been assessed by mental health experts as being “disconnected from reality”, and although you are now in the community I don’t feel the need for any further psychiatric evidence.”

He said the relevance of Pugh’s mental disorder reduced the seriousness of the case and fined him £150 and ordered him to pay £200 compensation to the police officer and a £30 victim surcharge.