A MAN jailed for headbutting a police constable in the face had shown contempt for officers in the past by behaving obscenely towards them, the judge sentencing him said today.

Martin Shaw chipped the constable’s tooth and gave him a suspected broken nose when he attacked him on May 3, Bradford Crown Court heard.

Two officers had arrived to arrest Shaw after he downed a bottle of vodka and went on the rampage, smashing up his partner’s home.

Shaw, 37, of Southfield Avenue, Wibsey, Bradford, was jailed for eight months for assaulting the officer occasioning him actual bodily harm.

The court heard that he had 14 previous convictions for 29 offences, including actual bodily harm, unlawful wounding, making a threat to kill, common assault, damage and exposure.

Shaw pleaded guilty to the assault and to criminal damage at the Bradford house on the same day.

The police came to arrest him after he smashed up a family home, causing devastation.

“It was quite a rampage,” the court was told.

When the officers turned up, Shaw resisted arrest, headbutting one and kicking him.

The constable suffered a suspected broken nose, although it was later found not to be fractured, a chipped tooth and grazing and bruising to his legs.

Gerald Hendron said in mitigation that Shaw was thoroughly ashamed.

His mental health wasn’t good and after drinking a bottle of vodka his recollection of that night was very limited.

He was genuinely remorseful and apologised to the officer.

Mr Hendron said Shaw would like to meet him face-to-face to personally say sorry.

He was seeking help for anger management and would not be drinking vodka again.

Judge Colin Burn said it was an extremely violent incident.

Shaw had downed a bottle of vodka and caused a scene of devastation at his partner’s home. He was presenting as very angry when the police were called, headbutting the officer in the face.

“On any view it was a very unpleasant single blow that caused that damage,” Judge Burn said.

He then kicked out at the officer causing grazing and bruising.

The judge said that Shaw had ‘used obscene conduct’ to the police in the past, showing them contempt.

He could be ‘extremely unpleasant and vicious’ towards them.

Only an immediate prison sentence could be imposed.

Shaw was jailed for eight months for attacking the police officer with two months to run concurrently for the criminal damage.