Drink-driving Pc attacked officer

A Gloucestershire policeman has pleaded guilty to attacking a female colleague after being caught drink-driving.

Pc Mike Jones, 43, who has been banned from driving, admitted assaulting Pc Lucy Powell in Stroud last year.

He changed his plea from not guilty at Gloucester magistrates' court on Monday and will be sentenced later.

He has already pleaded guilty to a second charge of assault and failing to give a required specimen on request. He was released on unconditional bail.

Magistrate Mary Barnes said: "These are serious offences aggravated by the fact that you are a serving police officer."

He panicked at the time, having being arrested on suspicion of drink-driving Joe Maloney, defending

Mark Carroll, prosecuting, said that Jones hit Pc Powell in the face and pushed another officer, Sergeant Christopher Price, to the ground in a struggle after being caught drink-driving.

He told the court: "The defendant was stopped driving after calls had come in from the public saying the vehicle was being driven erratically.

"Officers found the defendant, who was trying to change the wheel of the car, and could clearly see he was drunk."

It was as they attempted to take Jones, of Gloucestershire Police, back to Stroud station that he "panicked" and tried to make a "run for it", said Mr Carroll.

A total of eight police officers were needed to carry him into custody.

In Jones's defence, Joe Maloney said: "He panicked at the time, having being arrested on suspicion of drink-driving.

"Other aspects of his life were on the line."