A MAN who assaulted two police officers in Worcester has been jailed.

Worcester magistrates were told that Christopher Berry, aged 40, of no fixed address, had lashed out at the female officer after they had turned up at the Somerfield store in Angel Place on Tuesday, November 17.

Staff had contacted police after an incident in the store, and they found him shortly afterwards nearby with the help of CCTV operators.

Matt Dodson, prosecuting, said PC McCloud and PC Slade turned up at about 8am, and as PC Slade spoke to a member of staff, his colleague went over to speak to Berry.

“The member of staff then witnessed PC McCloud being punched to the face with a closed clenched fist,” he said.

Mr Dodson said PC McCloud was left with swelling and redness on her face.

Berry was then detained by the officers, but while in custody he elbowed PC Slade in the face and acted aggressively.

Mark Turnbull, in mitigation, said Berry had been suffering for many years with drink and mental health problems and had audio hallucinations which made him believe that people were talking to him.

“There is evidence from a shopkeeper who describes him as saying to her he was God and he had ‘friends of the family here’,” said Mr Turnbull.

He said Berry found it difficult to engage with other people and was himself the victim of violence as a youth.

Mr Turnbull said Berry had earlier in the year been approached by other officers who knew him and had handled him very differently, but on this occasion the police attending the incident in the city centre had not realised his problems.

Berry was sentenced by magistrates to a total of 20 weeks’ custody for the assaults.