A STUDENT who punched a police officer in the face after having too much to drink on a night out has been ordered to do unpaid work.

Thomas Parson was out drinking with fellow University of Worcester course mates when he “lost it”, forcing his friends to phone the police. Worcester Magistrates Court heard how the group of students had been outside the Halifax bank, on St Swithin Street, Worcester, at about 11.40pm on Thursday, October 15.

Sallie Hewitt, prosecuting, said one of the men phoned the police to say Parson had “lost it” and they were concerned for his and other people’s safety.

When officers arrived Parson was standing in the doorway of the bank and refused to come out into the street before swearing and telling them to leave him alone. When PC Hussey tried to get Parson out of the doorway the 20-year-old biology student grabbed the officer’s arm, pinching his skin. Parson, of Blakefield Road, St John’s, Worcester, was arrested then began banging his head on the door of the police car before he was handcuffed and taken to Worcester Police Station.

The court was shown video footage of Parson being brought into the custody area. As he appeared to calm down, officers removed the handcuffs. But as soon as they were taken off, Parson swung his left arm across his body and punched PC Hussey in the face and attempted to flee the station.

Miss Hewitt said Parson shouted more obscenities to officers and screamed: “Come on, I’ll have you.”

Parson, who was given a fixed penalty notice last year for being drunk and disorderly, admitted two counts of assaulting a police officer and one charge of being drunk and disorderly.

He was given 80 hours of unpaid work and ordered to pay £100 compensation to each officer.

Passing sentence, deputy district judge David Stott, said: “It would seem you have a tendency to drink hard and far in excess of what you can cope with. This will lead you into more trouble than you are in at the moment.

“You won’t be able to finish your course and you will end up with nothing.

“These officers suffered injury and they shouldn’t have to put up with this sort of loutish behaviour.”

l Your Worcester News was the only member of the media at this hearing.