A MAN who was left confused after being rescued by his smoke-filled flat by firefighters, spat at and punched a police officer who was trying to help him afterwards.

Lloyd Forrester, 60, of Briggate, Shipley, was agitated and worried about his cat when he assaulted the PC, Bradford Crown Court heard.

He had been cooking at 4am on May 18, 2019, when his chip pan caught fire.

After firefighters forced entry after being called out, Forrester was advised by a paramedic to get into an ambulance but he refused and walked off. Police officers who had attended at the scene were concerned that he might be mentally ill or under the influence of drugs and tried to persuade him to seek medical attention.

The court heard that Forrester became agitated and spat into the face of one of the police officers.

The officers used Pava spray on Forrester and when he then ran off, struck him on the leg with a baton. He managed to land a punch on the face of the PC in a struggle before being arrested.

A serrated cooking knife which Forrester had carried with him was found on the pavement after coming loose in the melee and a bag of cannabis was found on him.

The officer had a cut to his cheek and a split lip.

At an earlier hearing, Forrester admitted charges of assaulting a PC, possessing cannabis and having a serrated knife in a public place.

David McGonigal, defending, said his client had just wanted to go to Tesco’s after the fire and in the nine minutes he was followed by the two officers he had not been aggressive. He said he was immediately apologetic after the incident.

He said his client had been attacked in 2018, sustaining hammer blows to his head and had suffered flashbacks, low mood, memory loss and symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder.

Judge Jonathan Durham Hall QC told Forrester: “You have had your fair share of trouble but your mental wellbeing has deteriorated. The matters are serious and looked at without regard to the circumstances would lead to imprisonment.

“It was frightening and confusing for you. The police were very concerned but you resisted politely. The officers were in Catch 22 and can’t be criticised for trying to help you.

“I’ve rarely seen a mix of circumstances so unfortunate and unintended that led you to the dock.

“I would be roundly criticised if I sent you to prison. It would be the worst thing to do for you and the public.”

He sentenced Forrester, who was the subject of a newly-expired suspended sentence order, to nine months for the assault and two months for possession for the knife both suspended for 12 months. He also received a 25-day rehabilitation order and a six-month curfew from 8pm to 6am with electronic monitoring.