A DRINK-driver broke a policeman’s hand when he lashed out as officers tried to arrest him.
James Phinn, who was almost three times the legal limit, sped off when police tried to pull him over for having a defective brake light in the early hours of April 25 last year
Newcastle Crown Court heard that after forcing another vehicle to swerve out of his path, the 24-year-old brought the stolen Ford Fiesta, which belonged to his father, to a standstill and fled.
Phinn, who had no insurance or licence to be on the roads, was caught hiding underneath a nearby parked car.
During the struggle that followed, Pc Paul Wilson’s hand was broken with a forceful kick, which led to him needing a painful medical manipulation of the bones, followed by surgery and weeks of hospital visits.
Christopher Rose, prosecuting, told the court: “The defendant struggled and resisted arrest.
“He lashed out and it was during the course of that he kicked the hand of Pc Wilson.
“The result was one of the bones in officer Wilson’s hand was broken.”
The court heard Pc Wilson’s fractured bone did not heal property and even after surgical intervention, he needed to wear a cast and has been left scarred.
Mr Rose added: “It took a considerable period of physiotherapy to get the use and grip of all of his fingers back.”
Mr Recorder Gregory Perrin jailed Phinn, of Arnold Street, Boldon Colliery, for 18 months. The judge told him: “The officer in question came to try and apprehend you, he tried to arrest you and you responded by kicking out at him.
“The effect of the kick to the hand has been significant.
“It is plain this has had a significant effect on his day-to-day life.
“It was, in essence, a single blow, a reckless act in simply lashing out, but what I cannot ignore is the serious injury that was caused to the police officer.”
The judge banned Phinn, who had pleaded guilty to assault, aggravated vehicle-taking, careless driving, driving with excess alcohol, with no insurance and no licence, from the roads for 18 months.
Stephen Duffield, defending, said: “This was not a deliberate attack, it was an attack in respect of him being arrested, in respect of his panic at being arrested. It was aimless lashing out.”