A VIOLENT thug who punched and kicked a police officer unconscious has been jailed following two horrendous attacks on the emergency services.

Lewis Monaghan left one police officer needing medical attention after he launched the violent attack on May 26 last year, just days after he punched, kicked, and spat at a number of police officers when they tried to help get him to hospital.

The 23-year-old also breached a restraining order preventing him from approaching and harassing his own grandmother, Teesside Crown Court heard.

Ellen Wright, prosecuting, said Monaghan had breached the restraining order within days of it being implemented in January last year and again on May 26 when he attacked the officer who was attempting to arrest him.

Miss Wright said the officer is still suffering the after effects of the brutal beating dished out by Monaghan when he attended the incident on Westcroft Road, Grangetown.

In a victim impact statement, the officer said the violent attack had left him feeling vulnerable and struggling to carry out his job.

He added: “I was thinking what I could have done differently; what would have happened if my colleagues were further away; how things could have been a lot worse.

“When I woke up I was fearing for my life.”

Miss Wright said Monaghan carried out a number of different attacks on four officers when they tried to help paramedics get him to hospital for treatment to facial injuries on May 19 last year.

The Northern Echo: Lewis MonaghanLewis Monaghan

The court heard how the defendant kicked the officers in the face, legs, and thigh area before being placed in leg restraints. Monaghan them spat at two officers before falling asleep in the hospital.

Monaghan, of Myrddin Baker Road, Eston, Middlesbrough, pleaded guilty to five counts of assaulting an emergency worker; one count of possession of cannabis; one breach of a restraining order; and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

John Nixon, in mitigation, said his client had been diagnosed with psychosis and was not responding well to treatment but accepted that a custodial sentence was inevitable.

Judge Jonathan Carroll jailed Monaghan for a total of 46 months and two weeks for the catalogue of offending.

He said: “The officers were trying to help you, and in your state of drunkenness, you turned immediately to violence. That started with pushing police officers before kicking at them aggressively before kicking one officer to his face.

“You were restrained and taken to hospital where your aggressive behaviour continued. Even more significantly, bearing in mins we are in the middle of a world pandemic having a profound affect on health and safety of everybody, whilst in hospital you were spitting at the officers.”

Dealing with the second assault on a police officer, Judge Carroll added: “You attacked him with such force that you punched him to the ground, having gone to the ground he was in considerable pain, disorientated and utterly confused. The level of force you must have delivered was extremely considerable.”

Speaking after the sentencing hearing, Detective Inspector Dan Cook said: “We welcome the robust sentence that has been handed out.

“Under no circumstances is it acceptable for someone to assault or injure a police officer, member of staff or any other member of the emergency services.

“Emergency services personnel put their lives on the line every day to protect the people living in our communities and it is a tough job.

“This level of behaviour will never be tolerated and anyone who thinks it is acceptable to treat officers like this should think again, as we will do everything possible to bring the individuals responsible to justice."

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