A man who tried to strangle a lone police officer who had been called to an emergency at his home has been jailed.

Gareth Bellamy pinned PC Jonathan Green to a wall, put his hands to his throat and squeezed, Bradford Crown Court was told yesterday. During the violent struggle, Bellamy reached for a block of kitchen knives, but was grappled to the floor.

Sentencing him to 15 months imprisonment, Judge Jonathan Rose told the defendant: “You were...seeking to arm yourself. Had you succeeded, heaven knows what might have been the outcome in terms of serious injury or possibly even the death of a police officer.”

Judge Rose added: “The police officer was carrying out his public duty. Every time a police officer does so, he exposes himself to the risk of harm. When that risk becomes real because of the actions of men like you, the courts will protect officers.”

Bellamy, 35, of Quarry Street, Keighley, pleaded guilty to assault causing actual bodily harm to PC Green.

Prosecutor Ben Thomas said the incident happened at 11am on Saturday, October 27, last year, after the defendant’s wife called the police to ask for assistance at their house. Their six-year-old son was present.

PC Green arrived in full uniform. He was unable to get an answer at the door and walked into the house and shouted ‘police.’ A glass door panel had been smashed.

He found the defendant in the front room and told him he was being arrested. But Bellamy, who had been drinking and was bigger than the PC, became aggressive and violent.

He forced the officer against a wall. PC Green pressed his radio panic button for help, but Bellamy kneed him in the groin, placed his hands round his throat and squeezed. Mr Thomas said: “He was strangling the officer, who was unable to breathe and fearing for his life.

The defendant was screaming repeatedly: ‘I’ll kill you.’” PC Green broke away, but the defendant repeatedly punched him in the side of the head.

Other officers then arrived and arrested Bellamy. PC Green was taken to hospital with a headache and blurred vision.

Bellamy’s barrister, Sohail Khan, said he had a binge drinking problem, but he had a wife and three children, was a partner in a civil engineering business, and was highly regarded.