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Man who head-butted a police officer during an arrest avoids jail

Laganside Court in Belfast
Laganside Court in Belfast Laganside Court in Belfast

A MAN who head-butted a police officer during an arrest will be jailed if he offends again in the next six months, a judge warned yesterday.

Richard Mailey had his sentencing deferred to see if he can co-operate with probation authorities.

Belfast Magistrates' Court also heard the 24-year-old is attempting to make changes to his life after surviving an unrelated shooting incident.

Mailey, with an address at Tullybrannigan Road in Newcastle, Co Down, appeared in the dock over an assault on police committed on August 31.

A prosecution lawyer said the PSNI went to the defendant's home amid concerns for his welfare, but then detained him for a suspected breach of bail conditions.

As handcuffs were being applied he head-butted an officer, causing swelling and pain to his cheekbone and eye socket, the court was told.

Mailey's solicitor said: "He has no recollection of the events at all."

District Judge Fiona Bagnall heard the defendant has misused substances in the past.

She was also shown newspaper photographs of injuries sustained by Mailey in the shooting incident.

He is now trying to make changes to his life, his lawyer added.

Consenting to the proposal for sentencing to be deferred for six months, Mrs Bagnall insisted Mailey must fully cooperate with probation and commit no further offences.

She warned: "If he breaches either of those terms then he will go into custody."