A 28-YEAR-OLD man has been spared an immediate jail sentence for punching a police officer in a disturbance outside Bradford city centre's Boy and Barrel public house.

Gareth Knowles thought officers were being heavy-handed and feared for the safety of a pregnant friend caught up in the trouble, Bradford Crown Court heard today.

Knowles, of Rooley Lane, Bradford, pleaded guilty to common assault by recklessly hitting an officer with a metal bar he threw into the crowd and causing a second officer actual bodily harm, on May 4 last year.

Prosecutor Camille Morland said Knowles attacked a dog handler trying to arrest him at the scene.

He punched him several times, giving him a swollen and bleeding nose.

Knowles' solicitor advocate, Anne-Marie Hutton, said he was very sorry for his actions and coping with a number of serious issues at the time.

He was unemployed, awaiting an operation, but keen to work again as soon as possible.

Knowles was given a nine month jail sentence, suspended for 12 months, and ordered to pay the injured police officer £400 compensation. He must also undertake an activity requirement with the probation service.